Firmino stars as Hoffenheim, Bremen and Mainz pick up wins
Munich - 1899 Hoffenheim went goal-crazy in Hamburg, Werder Bremen overcame FC Augsburg and SC Freiburg were downed 2-1 by 1 FSV Mainz 05 on another enthralling afternoon of Bundesliga football.
Hamburger SV 1-5 1899 Hoffenheim
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A wonderful performance from 1899 Hoffenheim’s Roberto Firmino crowned by two goals and three assists propelled his side to a 5-1 rout over Hamburger SV.
Firmino scored a powerful header to open the scoring early on, making it the second time this season Hamburg have conceded in the first five minutes. Hoffenheim’s tactic to close Hamburg down was working perfectly until a penalty was awarded for handball in the 43rd minute. There was never any doubt as to who was going to take it as Rafael van der Vaart caressed his second spot-kick in as many games into the corner to send the sides in level at the break.
Floodgates
Kevin Volland started the second half imposingly with a goal in the 51st minute, and his side never looked back, with new signing Anthony Modeste scoring his second Bundesliga goal with a clever near-post finish from Firmino’s cross. His third goal after 74 minutes would prove a similar formality as Firmino beat his marker on the break and rolled a ball across the box for the Frenchman to finish and make the score 4-1.
Hamburg were despondent, and to rub salt into their gaping wounds, Firmino got his name on the scoresheet again with a 78th-minute snapshot into the bottom corner of Rene Adler’s goal to put the gloss on a wonderful display, leaving his side with four points from their opening two fixtures.
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SV Werder Bremen 1-0 FC Augsburg
SV Werder Bremen ran out 1-0 winners against a wasteful FC Augsburg side thanks to Mehmet Ekici.
The first-half began circumspectly, with the battle in midfield dominating proceedings. The deadlock was broken in the 23rd minute as Bremen’s Turkish midfielder Ekici drove through a packed midfield and placed his effort into the bottom right-hand corner of Mohamed Amsif’s goal. The Bavarians ended the half strongly, with Sascha Mölders proving a regular threat, but too much of Augsburg’s increasing possession was concentrated in their own half, and too little given to the industrious Raphael Holzhauser.
Turkish tussle
The second period was a tale of two Turkish midfielders, as Halil Altintop spurned four of Augsburg’s twenty chances, while Bremen goalscorer Ekici won fourteen tackles to go with his deciding goal.
Augsburg, led by new signing Raul Bobadilla, threw everything at the Bremen defence in the last ten minutes, but were unable to break through, as Robin Dutt's men made it six points from six.
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SC Freiburg 1-2 1. FSV Mainz 05
1. FSV Mainz 05’s Nicolai Müller proved the difference for a second week running in their 2-1 victory over SC Freiburg.
Despite conceding the ball to Freiburg throughout the first period, Mainz soaked up the pressure well, reducing their opponents to just six shots on target, four of which came from distance.
Tuchel's tactics
Tuchel’s first-half tactics paid off when Niki Zimling scored the opening goal of the game after 65 minutes, nodding a header past Freiburg goalkeeper Oliver Baumann at the far post, before Müller made it 2-0 with a classy finish three minutes later.
A half-hearted Freiburg revival came courtesy of Sebastian Freis, but Tuchel’s side held their own to seal their second win, and Freiburg's second defeat, in as many games.
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