Patrick Bargfrede (2nd l.) scored a late equaliser to rescue a point for Werder Bremen in a thrilling match against Hoffenheim
Patrick Bargfrede (2nd l.) scored a late equaliser to rescue a point for Werder Bremen in a thrilling match against Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim and Bremen share spoils in thriller

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Sinsheim - A late Philipp Bargfrede goal earned SV Werder Bremen a 4-4 draw in a thrilling encounter with 1899 Hoffenheim.

Raining goals

Hoffenheim were well beaten in their last game away in Augsburg, but they delivered on coach Markus Gisdol’s desire to see a response against Bremen and stormed into a two-goal lead. After Roberto Firmino had gone close early on, Sejad Salihovic stroked home two penalties - the second a delightful chip - after sloppy fouls from Santiago Garcia and Cedric Makiadi.

Salihovic missed out on his hat-trick by curling a free-kick wide, but there was to be a sting in the first-half tail as Bremen sensationally hit back with two goals within a minute. Aaron Hunt halved the deficit with the game’s third penalty, before his cross then somehow found Eljero Elia for an open goal on the half-time whistle.

If the end of the first half was dramatic, the same was true immediately after the break. Another two goals allowed Hoffenheim to wrestle back control of the game as Kevin Volland’s header and a Kai Herdling curler made it 4-2, before Nils Petersen amazingly made it 4-3 with only 58 minutes played.

Only after the seventh goal did the game begin to calm down after such a frenetic opening hour, with Hoffenheim keen to consolidate their narrow advantage. They looked to have secured the points when Koen Casteels denied Petersen in added time, but Werder had the last laugh as, from the resulting corner, Bargfrede drilled in to make it 4-4 with his first-ever Bundesliga goal.

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