2-1 defeat in friendly against Strasbourg

After four sweat-inducing sessions in the Kitzbühel sun, TSG Hoffenheim contested the first friendly fixture of their training camp on Monday afternoon. Florian Grillitsch made his comeback in a TSG shirt and featured in the starting line-up.

TSG made an imposing start but the French side took an early lead courtesy of their first attack. A cross from the left flank in the seventh minute ultimately found its way through to Lebo Mothiba, who tapped home from close range. A few minutes later, Oliver Baumann made two outstanding saves to deny the opposition any further goals (12, 13).

The first major opportunity for Hoffenheim fell to Robert Skov, whose free-kick from 25 metres out struck the bar (22). Grischa Prömel thought he had levelled the scores shortly after the break, but Skov was narrowly offside when he squared the ball to Prömel following Tom Bischof's crossed free-kick (42).

Pellegrino Matarazzo changed all the outfield players at the break. TSG's first glimpse of goal in the second half fell to Maxi Beier, whose curler from around 20 metres narrowly missed the target (53). Bambasé Conté was fouled in the box on the hour mark, with Kevin Vogt converting the resultant penalty to score his second goal of pre-season (61). Jacob Bruun Larsen's shot from approximately 15 metres was kept out by Strasbourg shot-stopper Alexandre Pierre shortly afterwards (67).

After winning possession in the opposition half, Bruun Larsen found himself in acres of space down the right flank and picked out Conté, whose header flew narrowly wide of the right upright. TSG pushed for the victory, but Strasbourg's first notable attack of the second period resulted in a goal, with Tom Saettel slotting home a cross from the left (89). TSG found themselves in front of the opposition goal once again in stoppage time, only for Muhammed Damar to strike the post (90+1).

Several more training sessions have been pencilled in for the coming days. TSG Hoffenheim will then play another friendly at the end of the training camp.

First-half line-up: Baumann – Quarshie, Brooks, Akpoguma – Justvan, Grillitsch, Prömel, Skov -Bischof, Becker – Bülter

Second-half line-up: Baumann (Philipp, 61) – Ozan Kabak (Adams, 73), Vogt, Nsoki – Kadeřábek, Samassékou, John – Conté, Damar – Beier, Bruun Larsen

Goals:  0-1 Mothiba (7), 1-1 Vogt (pen., 61), 1-2 Saettel (89)

Match facts and statistics »