Andrej Kramarić inspires Hoffenheim to crushing win over Borussia Mönchengladbach
Andrej Kramarić’s sensational first-half hat-trick helped secure a commanding 5-1 victory against Borussia Monchengladbach as Hoffenheim ran riot to earn a fifth straight home victory.
Hoffenheim 5-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Goals: 1-0 Kramarić pen. 22’, 2-0 Lemperle 24’ (assist: Asllani), 3-0 Kramarić 45’+1 (assist: Asllani), 4-0 Kramarić 45’+4 (assist: Lemperle), 4-1 Machino 69’ (assist: Reitz), 5-1 Moerstedt 77’ (assist: Gendrey)
With Hoffenheim's weekend fixture against Werder Bremen postponed due to snow, Christian Ilzer's side were making their first appearance of 2026 against a Borussia Mönchengladbach team who had won three of their previous four away matches.
The hosts came into the contest in fine form, having lost just once in their last nine Bundesliga outings, and were looking to secure a fifth consecutive home win. Gladbach's coach Eugen Polanski faced his former club, having spent five years as a player in Sinsheim between 2013 and 2018.
The Kramarić show
Hoffenheim started the match with remarkable intensity, creating the first opportunity in the fourth minute when Ozan Kabak headed against the crossbar from a corner.
The hosts continued to dominate proceedings and were rewarded in the 22nd minute when referee Christian Dingert awarded a penalty following a VAR check after Philipp Sander fouled Wouter Burger in the area. Andrej Kramarić stepped up and calmly converted, sending Moritz Nicolas the wrong way. Just two minutes later, the lead was doubled when Tim Lemperle latched onto Fisnik Asllani's pass before firing a powerful first-time shot into the bottom corner.
Kramarić completed a devastating first-half hat-trick with two goals in injury time, first delicately finishing after Asllani's clever pass before adding his third with an exquisite chip over Nicolas to give Hoffenheim an unassailable 4-0 lead at the break.
Instant impact
With the result effectively secured, Hoffenheim played with less urgency after the restart but still created further opportunities. Alexander Prass forced Nicolas into a point-blank save in the 51st minute, while Kramarić was denied when one-on-one with the keeper shortly after.
Gladbach improved following the introduction of Shuto Machino, who replaced Franck Honorat in the 56th minute. The substitute made his mark in the 69th minute, reducing the deficit after Rocco Reitz won possession in midfield before playing a perfectly weighted through ball.
Hoffenheim quickly restored their four-goal advantage when Max Moerstedt headed home Valentin Gendrey's cross just 34 seconds after coming on as a substitute, scoring his first Bundesliga goal and sealing an emphatic 5-1 victory for the hosts.
Man of the Match: Andrej Kramarić
On a historic night where he made his 302nd Bundesliga appearance - surpassing Zvonimir Soldo to become the Croatian with the most appearances in Germany's top flight - Kramarić delivered a masterclass.
The 34-year-old showed remarkable composure to convert the opening penalty before demonstrating his clinical finishing ability with two more goals before half-time. His third goal, a delicate chip over the goalkeeper, exemplified his technical brilliance.
Beyond his goals, Kramarić was central to Hoffenheim's attacking play, recording eight shots in total - more than any other player on the pitch. His hat-trick continued his excellent record against Gladbach, having now scored five goals and provided four assists in his last five matches against them.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Hoffenheim 3.21 - Gladbach 1.06
Fastest player: Franck Honorat (Gladbach), 34.54 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 4-0 by Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), 5 percent
Most pressed player: Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim), 21 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim), +4.09
Fantasy Heroes: Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim, 566 Points), Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim, 342 Points), Tim Lemperle (Hoffenheim, 279 Points)
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