Young World Cup victor delivers late and spectacular rescue for Hoffenheim
Struggling in both Bundesliga and Europa League, TSG Hoffenheim is facing challenges under manager Pellegrino Matarazzo. The team managed a 1:1 draw against FC Midtjylland in their Europa League debut after 1,308 days, primarily thanks to goalkeeper Oliver Baumann's impressive performance. With a teenager's astonishing goal, the game remained open until the last minute.
In their Europa League debut, the Kraichgauer stumbled and only managed a draw, putting more pressure on Matarazzo after three consecutive losses in the Bundesliga. The team needs to improve before the international break.
Dario Osorio (42.) scored just before half-time, taking advantage of Hoffenheim's shaky defense. However, the young Max Moerstedt saved a point in the 89th minute with an incredible scissor kick. Baumann's excellent performance in goal kept his team competitive, a promising display for the German national team after Marc-André ter Stegen's injury.
Matarazzo under scrutiny
2023 has been a challenging year for TSG with the dismissal of sports director Alexander Rosen and other board members in late July, leading the club into a crisis. Matarazzo faced criticism after three Bundesliga defeats, and the possibility of Bundestrainer assistant Sandro Wagner taking over his role was discussed. However, Matarazzo saw the draw as a "change of scenery, a fresh start, new energy."
Despite the absence of key players Andrej Kramaric and Anton Stach, Hoffenheim's new energy was not evident early on. Baumann stepped in several times with impressive saves, first against Franculino's strong shot (3'), then against former Wolfsburg player Kevin Mbabu (9'), and once he cleared the ball off the line (32.). Youngster Tom Bischof's mistake led to a chance for Edward Chilufya (30), but Baumann made a spectacular save. Finally, against Joel Andersson's shot (35), the goalkeeper perfectly positioned himself in the corner to keep the score even. Only Osorio's shot managed to beat Baumann before half-time.
After the break, Baumann continued to shine, saving the team multiple times as the defense struggled. As Mergim Berisha was introduced, Hoffenheim mounted an offensive in the closing minutes. Ultimately, youngster Moerstedt delivered the winning goal in the last minute of the game.
In the face of these challenges, Matarazzo highlighted the draw as a turning point, viewing it as a "change of scenery" for TSG Hoffenheim. Despite being absent in the game, star soccer player Andrej Kramaric's impact was missed, and the team's new energy was not immediately noticeable.
The pressure on Matarazzo to perform well in both Bundesliga and Europa League intensified due to the team's struggle to win games, leading to discussions about other potential coaches taking over, such as Bundestrainer assistant Sandro Wagner. However, the team's impressive performance in Europe, thanks to Baumann's stellar goalkeeping, offered a glimmer of hope for TSG Hoffenheim.
