Two sendings off and a lot of poison: Hoffenheim gives Union Berlin three points

Union Berlin celebrates an extremely flattering but equally important 1-0 victory at 1899 Hoffenheim on matchday 22 of the Bundesliga in the fight to stay in the league.

Brenden Aaronson scored the only goal of the game in the 84th minute on Saturday (February 17, 2024), which gave Union three extremely important points. The Köpenick team climbed to twelfth place with 24 points, but the new cushion of eight points in 16th place is probably much more important.

Hoffenheim has now been waiting for a win in eight league games, slipped to ninth place and moved further away from the international places.

Weak game in Sinsheim

There were also the now usual protests against a league investor in Sinsheim. Shortly before halftime, referee Robert Hartmann sent both of them off teams into the dressing room for around ten minutes after tennis balls from the guest block rained onto the lawn again.

At this point, after three attempts to continue the game, the game was about to be abandoned, said Hartmann at the Sportschau microphone.

Two sendings off before the break

What both teams However, those who had offered up to then were more likely to act as a deterrent for potential donors. Referee Robert Hartmann adapted to the weak level of the game: Stanley N’Soki, who had already been warned, caught Kevin Volland with his arm in a duel, the Berliner went down quite theatrically and put a judo roll on the grass – Referee Hartmann rewarded N’Soki with a yellow-red card. Immediately afterwards, Volland went into the duel with too much energy Andrei Kramaric – at least in Hartmann’s opinion: Volland also had to leave the field with a traffic light card.

Hoffenheim superior, but not determined enough

The second half started with ten against ten. Union now abandoned any constructive attack effort. Hoffenheim used the larger spaces and reflected on their playing qualities, but often acted too awkwardly and, especially in the end, not determined enough.

Aaronson with the lucky winning goal for Union

Shortly before the end, Union shocked the hosts. In the only counterattack of the second half so far, Berlin caught Hoffenheim’s defense completely unsorted, Aaronson deliberately put the ball into the corner from close range.

“I’m very happy for the whole club“said Union coach Nenad Bjelica after a”some happy victory” as he admitted. “But that’s football: you defend for 30, 35 minutes and then you get your chance. In the end it worked out perfectly for us.“

Matarazzo: “Very bitter”

Bjelica’s counterpart Pellegrino Matarazzo was served: “We had the game completely under control. In the worst case scenario you have to play 0-0 here. So of course it is very bitter.“The previous week against Cologne, Hoffenheim had only managed a 1-1 draw at home. Materazzo seemed perplexed by his team’s once again meager result and tried to look at the statistics:”We actually have the sixth best offense in the league in terms of expected goals and shots on goal, but in the end the ball doesn’t go in.”

Hoffenheim now at BVB, Union against Heidenheim

For Hoffenheim Coach The situation is unlikely to get any easier after the next setback, next Sunday (February 25, 2024, 5:30 p.m.) the Kraichgauers have a difficult away game at Borussia Dortmund. Union Berlin welcomes 1. FC Heidenheim the day before at 3:30 p.m.