Bundesliga, Round 14: TSG Hoffenheim beats Bochum and consolidates sixth place

German League, round 14

The Bundesliga series is broken – Hoffenheim beats Bochum and consolidates sixth place

Updated yesterday, December 8, 2023 | 22:26

TSG Hoffenheim – VfL Bochum 3:1 (2:0)

Gates: 1:0 Mazovic (32./ET), 2:0 Kramaric (43rd), 3:0 Pippo (76th), 3:1 Paciencia (90th).

The basics in brief: TSG 1899 Hoffenheim won at Sinsheim for the first time in more than three months and ended the VfL Bochum series. At the start of the 14th round of the Bundesliga on Friday evening, Kraichgauer’s team won 3:1 (2:0) over the relegation candidates. The visitors suffered another setback after five matches without defeat.

In front of just 16,023 spectators, Erhan Mazovic started Bochum’s rout with an own goal (32nd minute). Andrej Kramaric then scored eye-catchingly with his fifth goal of the season (43rd) and substitute Ihlas Bebou (76th) scored for Hoffenheim. Goncalo Paciencia’s 1:3 (90th minute) goal came too late for Bochum.

Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team settled in sixth place in the standings, regardless of the outcome of other matches this weekend. Previously, TSG, who were strong away from home, had only won at home against Wolfsburg.

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Five games, unbeaten – After their longest winning streak since being promoted back in the summer of 2021, VfL Bochum enters the away match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim with confidence. “We’re going there to take something with us,” Thomas Leach said Thursday, expressing hope his team would continue its upward trend. Although the opponent has not won four times in the Bundesliga, the Bundesliga coach expects a difficult task: “This is a team in third place with a lot of potential. We have a big task ahead of us.”

Bochum has not lost in five matches

According to Leach’s assessment, his team mainly benefited from the progress made by the defense in recent weeks, as it jumped to twelfth place. “We conceded a lot of goals at the beginning of the season. After the two games against Bayern (0:7) and Mönchengladbach (1:3) we thought we had to change something. We have been very stable recently, we have not allowed too much and we have taken a step forward,” praised Leitch, “The rate of one goal we have conceded per game lately is fantastic.”

Compared to the first home win, the 3-1 win over Wolfsburg in the final matchday, Leitch will only make moderate changes to the starting line-up: “It went well in the last match. Then it won’t take much imagination because we won’t be making many the changes.” With centre-back Kevin Schlotterbeek unavailable after picking up a fifth yellow card, Bernardo will move inside, according to Leach. Bernardo’s position on the left side of the defense is taken up by Maximilian Wittek.