There are games that football fans remember for years to come. BVB’s duel against Hoffenheim in May 2013 is such a game. Robert Lewandowski played a not insignificant role in this.
The sporting crisis at TSG Hoffenheim continues under new coach Pellegrino Matarazzo. Now on Saturday (25.02.23, from 3.20 p.m. live in the radio report on sportschau.de) it is also up against the in-form BVB, who have won all their games this year. The roles of the favorite and the underdog are clearly divided. A situation that brings back memories of a game between the two clubs almost exactly ten years ago.
On May 28, 2013, TSG made a guest appearance in Dortmund on the final day of the game. The seventeenth-placed team needed a win and a simultaneous defeat from Düsseldorf and/or Augsburg to prevent the club from being relegated to the Bundesliga for the first time. For the second-placed Dortmund, on the other hand, a week before the Champions League final against Bayern in London, it was no longer a matter of sport. The competition from Munich was already German champion, Leverkusen firmly in third place.
Dortmund fans demand: “End the Kraichgau experiment”
Even before kick-off, the Dortmund south stand made it clear what to expect from this game. “Hop, hop into the 2nd league! Stop the Kraichgau experiment'” and “It’s in your hands, send the project back to no man’s land!” demanded the BVB fans on banners and posters. Loud chants of ‘relegated, relegated’ rang out in the stadium.
After just six minutes, Robert Lewandowski gave Dortmund the lead with a dust-off. A decisive goal in the long-distance duel with Stefan Kießling for the top scorer’s crown. Both strikers had 24 goals at that point.
Dortmund’s players are unsuccessfully looking for Robert Lewandowski
The hosts, who were playing at their best, then combined again and again in the Hoffenheim penalty area. Whether it was the determination in the end or simply the luck of the game, it remained 1-0 until the 77th minute.
Added to this was the fact that, as time went on, Dortmund were visibly trying to make their colleague Robert Lewandowski the sole top scorer. Again and again the black and yellow looked for the Poles – without success.
Hoffenheim turns the game in Dortmund – thanks to Sead Salihovic
Then suddenly there was a crash on the other side. TSG attacker Kevin Volland went down after a duel with Mats Hummels in Dortmund’s sixteen. Referee Jochen Drees decided on a penalty, Sead Salihovic sunk into the corner. A glimmer of hope for Hoffenheim, who would still have been relegated with the draw.
Just five minutes later, BVB keeper Roman Weidenfeller then roughly knocked Hoffenheim’s Sven Schipplock off his feet. Red for Weidenfeller, another penalty for the team of Markus Gisdol and assistant coach Julian Nagelsmann. Because Dortmund had already exhausted the transfer quota, Kevin Großkreutz stepped in to replace Weidenfeller, who had been sent off the field.
Salihovic also converted the second penalty – with force under the bar. TSG turned the game around within a few minutes. Relegation was close.
Marcel Schmelzer’s shot finds its way into the Hoffenheim goal
When Borussia then threw everything forward, the ball even landed in the Hoffenheim goal again. However, Marcel Schmelzer’s goal was disallowed after a brief discussion for being offside. Lewandowski, who was undoubtedly offside when the shot was fired, is said to have blocked the view of keeper Casteels.
The game finally ended 1:2 and Hoffenheim still averted direct relegation because Fortuna Düsseldorf lost 0:3 in Hanover at the same time. Fortuna had to make their way to the 2nd Bundesliga together with Greuther Fürth, Hoffenheim stayed in the league after two wins in the relegation (2:1 and 3:1) against 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Particularly annoying for Robert Lewandowski: Stefan Kießling made it 1-0 in the 90th minute of the game against Hamburger SV and was crowned top scorer.