TSG Hoffenheim: Goalkeeper Baumann struggles with the luck of the game

Beaten: Pellegrino Matarazzo and Oliver Baumann (right).

IMAGO/Beautiful Sports

In the first half of the season, the duel between Hoffenheim and Freiburg was still a top game – on matchday 7 both clubs drew 0-0 and then both were on a Champions League spot. Only SC Freiburg is now on such a track, while Hoffenheim made an unparalleled crash.

After the 1:2 in Freiburg, the seventh league defeat in a row, the TSG find themselves on the last place in the table and have to worry more than ever about staying in the league. There would have been something in Breisgau.

By hook or by crook you have to take a point with you here.

Oliver Baumann after the 1:2 in Freiburg

“By hook or by crook you have to take a point here,” said a visibly depressed Oliver Baumann after the final whistle at DAZN. “It was our turn. The game was good, we were stable, we had good accents,” the goalkeeper looked back and at the same time was a bit at a loss: “What else can I say?”

Two things were the cause of the defeat: lack of luck and the dismissal of Ozan Kabak. The central defender saw a completely unnecessary yellow card in the final phase due to a delay in the game, all in all yellow-red – and thus weakened his team. Baumann then revealed that coach Pellegrino Matarazzo pointed this out after the end of the game. “According to him we have to be smart and not finish the game with ten players.”

We didn’t get ourselves into trouble – with the yellow-red card we did.

In addition to being sent off, Freiburg’s “brutal luck” struck. Noah Weißhaupt’s cross to make it 2-1 was “perfect” – “and then he falls (Ritsu Doan, Anm. d. Red.) the ball in front of your foot.” The defeat should be particularly difficult in the stomach, because you had actually played a good away game.

“Freiburg has a lot of ideas with the ball and defends well, but our game was clear,” said Baumann and basically saw an increase in performance compared to the last appearances. “We didn’t get ourselves into trouble like in the previous weeks,” said the goalkeeper, meaning that he didn’t make any serious mistakes in the game, only to immediately remember the sending off and say: “With the yellow card -Red card then already.”

The traffic light card was not only “definitely the sticking point” of the game for Baumann, Angelo Stiller also referred to it. “We played a good game, I think we were better. It’s a shame that we ended up getting a stupid red card.” Kabak himself did not want to make any direct accusations against Stiller, but stated: “The fact is that we were one man less.”