Fisnik Asllani on target as record-breaking Hoffenheim hammer Freiburg in second-half onslaught
Hoffenheim saw off local rivals Freiburg 3-0 on Matchday 22 thanks to second-half goals from Fisnik Asllani, Ozan Kabak and Valentin Gendrey as the Sinsheimers set a new club record of eight straight home wins, which strengthens their hopes for Champions League football next season.
Hoffenheim 3-0 Freiburg
Goals: 1-0 Asllani 46’ (assist: Coufal), 2-0 Kabak 51‘ (assist: Coufal), 3-0 Gendrey 90‘+5 (assist: Prass)
Hoffenheim welcomed Freiburg to the PreZero Arena looking to extend their remarkable home form, having won seven consecutive matches in Sinsheim after losing their first three of the season.
The visitors, meanwhile, arrived with contrasting fortunes on their travels, having secured just two victories from 11 away fixtures. Despite this, Julian Schuster's men - who were fresh from reaching the DFB Cup semi-finals after a midweek penalty shootout triumph against Hertha Berlin - boasted an impressive unbeaten run against the hosts, having not lost to Hoffenheim in nine matches across all competitions.
Schuster himself was absent from the touchline due to suspension after receiving his fourth yellow card of the season, with assistant Lars Voßler taking charge for the day.
Hoffenheim thought they had produced a moment of magic early on when Andrej Kramarić unleashed an audacious effort from around 40 yards that sailed over Noah Atubolu and into the net. However, VAR intervention revealed the Croatian had strayed marginally offside before receiving the ball from Asllani.
The disallowed stunner didn't deter the hosts, who dominated possession and peppered the Freiburg goal with 16 first-half attempts. Kabak came closest on 43 minutes when his powerful header from Vladimir Coufal's cross was superbly saved by Atubolu, before Robin Hranáč crashed the rebound against the crossbar.
Despite their overwhelming superiority - holding 63% possession and forcing a series of saves from Atubolu - Christian Ilzer's men couldn't break through before the interval.
Whatever Ilzer said at half-time had an immediate and devastating effect. Just 30 seconds after the restart, Coufal delivered a precise cross from the right and Asllani rose perfectly to direct a header beyond Atubolu, sparking jubilant celebrations.
The PreZero Arena was still buzzing five minutes later when Hoffenheim doubled their advantage through another header. Coufal was again the provider, this time from a corner, and Kabak made a clever run to the near post before powering home.
The quick-fire double effectively ended the contest, with Freiburg rarely threatening Baumann's goal thereafter. Despite introducing Vincenzo Grifo and Igor Matanović from the bench, the visitors couldn't find a way through Hoffenheim's resolute defence.
In the closing stages, Gendrey, only introduced in the 94th minute, capped off the perfect afternoon for the hosts by rifling home a third with virtually his first involvement, ensuring Hoffenheim set a new club record with eight consecutive home victories.
Man of the Match: Fisnik Asllani
After a frustrating first half where the hosts couldn't convert their dominance into goals, it took Asllani just 30 seconds after the restart to break the deadlock with a perfectly placed header from Coufal's cross.
This crucial opener completely changed the complexion of the match, setting Hoffenheim on their way to a comfortable victory.
Beyond his goal, the forward was a constant threat to the Freiburg defence, recording multiple attempts including a fierce long-range effort that drew an excellent save from Atubolu in the 66th minute. His movement, link-up play and positioning were exemplary throughout, thoroughly justifying his award as Man of the Match.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Hoffenheim 2.19 - Freiburg 1.36
Fastest player: Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), 36.21 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-0 by Valentin Gendrey (Hoffenheim), 5 percent
Most pressed player: Fisnik Asllani (Hoffenheim), 17 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim), +5.65
Fantasy Heroes: Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim, 494 Points), Ozan Kabak (Hoffenheim, 442 Points), Fisnik Asllani (Hoffenheim, 287 Points)
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