TSG Hoffenheim 0-2 RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann’s return visit to Hoffenheim wasn’t without any drama as his current club bucked a slow start before handily beating Hoffenheim last Friday night on the road.
The third-seeded team in the Bundesliga table were more than happy with the goals supplied by Dani Olmo as it helped them solidify their Champions League slot while closing the gap between them and Borussia Dortmund.
The Spanish international continues to be a rising star for the Red Bulls since after the mandated break due to the coronavirus pandemic. He has been filling in well for Yussuf Poulsen who is still out due to an injury.
On the other hand, Hoffenheim were left to rue the night after missing out on several opportunities – which includes a rescinded penalty call in their favour when one of their players had a handball after checking the VAR.
Not only did they lose this game, but they also parted ways with Alfred Schreuder earlier this week. However, a top-six finish is still within reach, according to our Bundesliga 2020 odds, as they are sitting at the seventh spot with 43 points.
As SBOBET continues its coverage with the Bundesliga, let’s take a look at last Friday night’s set of Bundesliga 2020 highlights.
Highlights of the game
The home team quickly pounced on the opportunity from the get-go especially when the Red Bulls were lacklustre on defence.
Christoph Baumgartner, who has been a source of inspiration on the attack for Die Kraichgauer lately, had the first chance of the match when he was able to weave through multiple Leipzig defenders in the fourth minute. But unfortunately, his short shot went a bit too wide on the right side of the goalpost.
RB Leipzig’s defence were in deep trouble in the sixth minute when Pete Gulacsi was called for a penalty after a challenge on Munas Dabbur. However, after further review by the VAR, the initial call was rescinded since the ball made contact with Christoph Baumgartner’s hand during the said sequence.
In a cruel twist of fate for the home team, RB Leipzig were able to score the first goal of the match when Dani Olmo burst his away through after a nice cross by Nordi Mukiele.
Two minutes later, Dani Olmo would score once more when he received a clever header from Marcel Sabitzer and fired one past Oliver Baumann for his first brace this Bundesliga season.
Hoffenheim would have another chance at the 27th minute when Munas Dabbur’s header after a corner bounced off the crossbar. 10 minutes later, they would miss another opportunity because of Gulacsi’s spectacular save of Baumgartner’s shot.
Timo Werner — who is currently working on a transfer deal with Chelsea — had a chance to push their lead to 3-0 right before the end of first half, but his strike went too high.
In a bid to turn things around in the second half, Hoffenheim sent on Robert Skov and Andrej Kramaric to bolster their attack.
However, the Red Bulls didn’t lift their feet off the gas pedal as Dani Olmo almost scored a hat-trick along with a late opportunity by Christopher Nkunku.
Despite letting their second half chances slip away, Leipzig’s effort in the first half was more than enough to bring home the precious three points.
Key statistics
Dani Olmo scored his first brace for the Red Bulls this season. It can be remembered that he was one of the team’s winter pickups last year, and his arrival is clearly paying dividends.
Overall, the former Dinamo Zagreb midfielder has notched three goals already since the start of June.
Hoffenheim had 22 total shots last Friday night. It was their highest number of attempts so far this term.
The home team had the slight edge in controlling possession (51-per cent) while they had a lot more corner kicks (9).
Current Red Bulls manager Julian Nagelsmann’s contributions for Hoffenheim will never be forgotten – having won 44-per cent of their games during his time there.
What’s next?
RB Leipzig will have back-to-back games at home in their next two fixtures. They will get to host Fortuna Dusseldorf this upcoming Thursday before locking horns against Borussia Dortmund two days later on June 20th.
Meanwhile, Die Kraichgauer will enter the lighter part of their schedule as they’ll visit Augsburg on June 18th before hosting Union Berlin after two days.
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