Bayer Leverkusen and TSG Hoffenheim both secured victories in the Europa League on Thursday, while SC Freiburg dropped a 3:0 decision to AS Monaco in the Conference League. Leverkusen defeated Greek cup winners OFI Kreta 2:0 in Heraklion, maintaining a perfect record in the league phase with nine points and an 8:0 goal differential. Hoffenheim earned their first win of the competition by defeating Olympique Lyon 3:0 in Sinsheim, led by Andrej Kramaric.
Jonas Hofmann Powers Leverkusen in Greece
Jonas Hofmann scored twice in three minutes to lead Bayer Leverkusen to a 2:0 victory over OFI Kreta at the Pankritio Stadium. Leverkusen added Hofmann to their European squad on Tuesday following a long-term injury to Martin Terrier. The 34-year-old capitalized on his first start of the season, scoring in the 35th and 38th minutes.
“It certainly feels good,” Hofmann told RTL after the match. “I couldn’t do any more. I was called up, I flew along—and I did my job.”
Leverkusen controlled the remainder of the fixture despite missing Robert Andrich, who remained in Germany following the birth of his third child on Thursday morning. The result keeps the team at the top of the Europa League standings after earlier wins against NK Celje and Lech Posen.
Andrej Kramaric Ignites Hoffenheim Against Lyon
Andrej Kramaric registered a goal and two assists as TSG Hoffenheim defeated French Ligue 1 leaders Olympique Lyon 3:0. The victory lifts manager Christian Ilzer’s side in the standings following earlier defeats to OFI Kreta and Besiktas Istanbul.
Kramaric opened the scoring in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, heading in a clever layoff from Tim Lemperle. After the interval, Kramaric set up Adam Daghim for the second goal in the 49th minute before providing the assist for Adam Hlozek’s 83rd-minute strike.
Before 21,029 spectators in Sinsheim, Hoffenheim weathered an early scare when Dominik Graf tipped Robert Hranac’s header onto the crossbar. The visitors played without Corentin Tolisso and Moussa Niakhaté in the starting lineup.
Paris Brunner Propels Monaco Past Freiburg
SC Freiburg fell 3:0 to AS Monaco, leaving Julian Schuster’s side with three points after two Conference League matches. German U21 international Paris Brunner opened the scoring for Monaco in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, rounding defender Max Rosenfelder before finishing past goalkeeper Mio Backhaus.
Monaco secured the result late in the second half through goals from Lamine Camara in the 83rd minute and Ansu Fati in stoppage time. Freiburg struggled to generate offense in the absence of injured Yannik Engelhardt, who departed in the first half. The defeat marks Freiburg’s second loss in five days following a 2:1 reversal against Bayer Leverkusen.
Upcoming Fixtures Across German Competitions
The European results set up domestic tests for the weekend. TSG Hoffenheim face Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday in the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, SC Freiburg prepare for a fixture against Bayern Munich on Sunday at 17:30 local time.
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