TSG win dramatic cup game

TSG faced a tough fight away to SV Rödinghausen in the First Round of the DFB-Pokal, but ultimately came away with a 2-0 (0-0) win after 120 minutes of intense action against the Regionalliga club. New arrivals Ozan Kabak and Grischa Prömel were the goalscoring heroes in new head coach André Breitenreiter's first competitive match in charge.

Personnel and tactics:

André Breitenreiter sent his team out in a 3-5-2 system in his first competitive match as TSG head coach. Oliver Baumann was in goal, with Stefan Posch, Kevin Vogt and captain Benjamin Hübner in front of him. Pavel Kadeřábek and Robert Skov lined up on the flanks, while Diadie Samassékou, Grischa Prömel and Christoph Baumgartner started in midfield. The striking duo of Andrej Kramarić and Jacob Bruun Larsen rounded off the starting XI.

Samassékou came off at half-time, with Sebastian Rudy coming on to replace him in midfield. In the 64th minute, Breitenreiter then switched out his strikers, with Georginio and Dabbur replacing Bruun Larsen and Kramarić up top. Ozan Kabak came on to make his TSG debut in the 84th minute, with the new signing coming on in place of Hübner, who handed the captain's armband to Baumann before departing the pitch.

Bischof came on to replace Baumgartner in extra-time (103).

Moment of the match

The opening goal

After a well-placed delivery from Rudy, Kabak, in his first competitive game for TSG, timed his leap to perfection and nodded the ball into the back of the net to give TSG the lead in what proved to be the decisive moment of an intense game.

Number of the game: 21

New TSG defender Ozan Kabak needed just 21 minutes of his debut to score the opening goal and thereby book a place in the second round of the cup.

Line-ups:

TSG Hoffenheim: Baumann – Posch, Vogt, Hübner (84, Kabak) – Kadeřábek, Samassékou (46, Rudy), Skov – Prömel, Baumgartner (103, Bischof) – Bruun Larsen (64, Georginio), Kramarić (64, Dabbur)

SV Rödinghausen: Tigges (57, Estevao) – Choroba, Flottmann, Wolff, Riemer – Kurzen (73, Fehr), Schuster, Hoffmeier, Wiemann – Marceta (18, Schaub /93 Safi), Bravo Sanchez (73, Bach)

Goals: 1-0 Kabak (115), 2-0 Prömel (118)

Match highlights

8. Min.

TSG's first chance of the game. Baumgartner tees up Prömel, who unleashes a shot from just outside the box which fizzes just wide of the right-hand post.

15. Min.

The hosts almost open the scoring: Kurzen plays a delivery towards Marceta, who can't make a connection from close range.

26. Min.

A long throw-in causes chaos in the TSG penalty area. The ball falls to Schaub, who is able to get a shot off, but it flies over the bar. That was close.

50. Min.

After a cross from Kadeřábek, Kramarić has a shot on goal from the penalty spot, but SVR goalkeeper Tigges is able to make the save. Hoffenheim's biggest chance so far.

72. Min.

After a superb pass from Georginio, Dabbur has space in front of goal, but he's denied by the substitute Estevao.

83. Min.

Once again Georginio does exceptionally well to play in his strike partner Dabbur, who wrong foots a defender but can't beat the SVR goalkeeper.

90. Min.

First Georginio can't score from a tight angle, then, in the immediate aftermath, Estevao saves a long-range shot from Baumgartner.

99. Min.

Georginio receives the ball in the box and tries to find an opening, evading several opponents, but SVR have almost their whole team behind the ball and are able to block the shot.