That was clear: SC Freiburg didn’t give TSG Hoffenheim a chance in the Baden-Württemberg duel in Sinsheim. The match winner was a former TSG player.
After a furious goal gala, SC Freiburg can dream more and more realistically of the first DFB Cup final in the club’s history – Berlin is only two wins away for the Breisgau team. Led by ex-Hoffenheimer Vincenzo Grifo, SC won the Baden duel in the round of 16 4-1 (2-0) at Bundesliga rivals TSG Hoffenheim.
Grifo in the 10th and 36th minute (per hand penalty) as well as Kevin Schade (55th) and Ermedin Demirovic (68th) scored for Freiburg, who made it into the top eight for the first time in seven years.
Freiburg dominated in front of 500 spectators
Fourth in the table from Hoffenheim has to rely on the league for its European Cup hopes. The Freiburg own goal by Nico Schlotterbeck (53rd) did not change that.
In front of 500 admitted spectators, the guests dominated the initial phase. Freiburg, where regular goalkeeper Mark Flekken and defense chief Schlotterbeck were in the starting eleven after surviving corona infections, had processed the previous 1: 5 in the league at Borussia Dortmund well.
The lead by ex-Hoffenheimer Grifo after preparatory work by Lucas Höler was not surprising. Hoffenheim, whose star striker Andrej Kramaric was on the substitutes’ bench, seemed unfocused and made numerous mistakes.
Demirovic puts the lid on
In the 23rd minute, the agile Höler should have benefited from the blatant TSG weaknesses. However, the attacker missed the big chance for the second SC hit from a short distance.
The hosts, who had to do without Florian Grillitsch, Ermin Bicakcic, Marco John, Pavel Kaderabek, Diadie Samassekou, Robert Skov and Mijat Gacinovic, only got into the game a little better after almost half an hour.
However, the upward trend was abruptly stopped by Ihlas Bebou’s handball in his own penalty area. Referee Robert Schröder (Hanover) awarded a penalty. In contrast to the league game between the two teams almost six weeks ago in Freiburg (1: 2), this time Grifo scored from the point. TSG was still well served with the two-goal deficit at the break.
Kramaric came at the beginning of the second half, while Hoffenheim’s coach Sebastian Hoeneß relied on an unconditional offensive with four strikers. The SC was put on the defensive. Georginio Rutter (48′) and Kramaric (50′) had their first chances before Schlotterbeck scored in his own goal.
Schade immediately restored the old distance. After that, Hoffenheim increased the number of strokes again and had the goal in mind several times. However, the goal was marked by Demirovic on a counterattack on the other side.
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