Andrej Kramarić shines as Hoffenheim continue perfect away form with win at St. Pauli
Hoffenheim bounced back from their defeat against Cologne last time out with a confident 3-0 win away to St. Pauli, with Andrej Kramarić providing a goal and an assist as they're still yet to taste defeat on the road this season.
St. Pauli 0–3 HoffenheimGoals: 0-1 Touré 54‘ (assist: Kramarić), 0-2 Kramarić 60‘ (assist: Lemperle), 0-3 Prömel 79’ (assist: Burger)
Both Pauli and Hoffenheim entered this Matchday 7 contest level on seven points, but their respective form told different stories. The hosts had begun the campaign impressively with seven points from their first three matches before suffering three consecutive defeats.
Conversely, Hoffenheim boasted a perfect away record with two wins and a draw, despite losing all their home fixtures.
Early promise unfulfilled
The visitors demonstrated their attacking intent early when Fisnik Asllani had the ball in the net after nine minutes, only for the offside flag to cut short the celebrations. Hoffenheim continued to threaten, with Tim Lemperle striking the right post with a right-footed effort after excellent work from Vladimir Coufal.
Despite Hoffenheim enjoying 59% possession in the opening period, Pauli created their clearest opportunity when Martijn Kaars raced clear on goal in the 41st minute. The Dutchman found himself one-on-one with Oliver Baumann but couldn't beat the experienced keeper, who stood firm to keep the scores level at half-time.
Visitors break through
Hoffenheim came out firing after the break, with Kramarić forcing a save from Nikola Vasilj in the 52nd minute following excellent work from Bazoumana Toure.
The visitors' pressure paid off two minutes later. Asllani won possession and found Kramarić, who delivered a perfect through ball for Toure. The forward kept his composure, slotting past Vasilj from inside the box to give Hoffenheim a deserved lead.
The hosts barely had time to respond before finding themselves two behind in the 59th minute. This time, Coufal combined with Lemperle on the right flank before finding Kramarić at the penalty spot, and the Croatian made no mistake with a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
Prömel seals emphatic win
Blessin responded immediately with a double substitution, introducing Oladapo Afolayan and Andréas Hountondji, but the hosts struggled to create clear chances against Hoffenheim's stubborn defence.
The visitors then dealt the killer blow in the 79th minute when substitute Grischa Prömel, who had replaced Asllani just eight minutes earlier, raced onto Wouter Burger's through ball and calmly finished past Vasilj.
St. Pauli thought they had pulled a goal back in the 88th minute when Danel Sinani's free-kick found the net, but after VAR review, the goal was disallowed due to Eric Smith being in an offside position and interfering with play.
Player of the Match: Andrej Kramarić
Kramarić's vision to set up Toure for the opener changed the complexion of the match, while his composed finish for the second goal effectively killed St. Pauli's resistance. His movement and link-up play caused problems throughout, with three shots highlighting his attacking threat. This display exemplified why he remains Hoffenheim's most influential player, and his contribution was key to their third consecutive away victory.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: St. Pauli 1.18 - Hoffenheim 2.37
Fastest player: Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), 35.65 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-1 by Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), 26 percent
Most pressed player: Mathias Pereira Lage (Pauli), 13 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Joel Chima Fujita (Pauli), 2.14
Fantasy Heroes: Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim, 182 Points), Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim, 177 Points), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim, 157 Points)
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