Fanshop
TSG dig out a point in Leverkusen
Tactics and line-up:
Julian Nagelsmann made five changes to his side after the midweek Champions League playoff against Liverpool: Ermin Bicakcic, Lukas Rupp, Jeremy Toljan, Nadiem Amiri and Mark Uth were all back in the team. The boss’s starting XI were, thus, as follows: Oliver Baumann, Bicakcic, Rupp, Sandro Wagner, Toljan, Steven Zuber, Amiri, Uth, Benjamin Hübner, Kevin Vogt and Andrej Kramaric.
The team did not line up in its familiar 3-5-2 formation, instead, Nagelsmann set his men up with a back four of Bicakcic, Hübner, Zuber and Toljan, playing behind a midfield trio of Lukas Rupp and Nadiem Amiri either side of Vogt. Mark Uth and Andrej Kramaric attacked down the wings with Sandro Wagner playing as the centre forward.
Naglesmann made his first change not 30 minutes into the game: Vogt retreated into the defensive line and Hoffenheim assumed a 3-4-3 formation, which shuffled into a 5-2-3 when off the ball. The first substitution was made at half time and saw Kerem Demirbay replace Rupp. TSG reshaped and played in a 3-5-2 formation: Demirbay played as the defensive midfielder and Kramaric dropped into the midfield. In the 57th minute, the team underwent its next change as Zuber made way for Pavel Kaderabek. Toljan switched from right-back to left-back, Kaderabek returned to his familiar right wing. Hoffenheim’s final substitution came in the 74th minute: Nadiem Amiri was brought off, in his place came Florian Grillitsch, celebrating his competitive debut for TSG.
The moment of the game:
Hoffenheim’s second goal from Mark Uth. The striker doesn’t connect with Kerem Demirbay’s cross perfectly. The ball flies on to the underside of the bar and then just out again. But it has so much spin it goes back on itself and into the net.
The number of the game: 50
Julian Nagelsmann makes his 50th appearance on the touch line for Hoffenheim. His team have won 24 times under his guidance, with 17 draws and nine losses.
Match facts and statistics »
