There was nothing between Bremen and Hoffenheim as they drew 1-1 on Julian Nagelsmann's debut as the youngest coach in Bundesliga history. - © © gettyimages / Lars Baron/Bongarts
There was nothing between Bremen and Hoffenheim as they drew 1-1 on Julian Nagelsmann's debut as the youngest coach in Bundesliga history. - © © gettyimages / Lars Baron/Bongarts

Nagelsmann picks up point on Hoffenheim debut

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Julian Nagelsmann's debut on the Hoffenheim bench ended with a point as his side held on for a 1-1 draw with only ten men at Werder Bremen.

SV Werder Bremen 1-1 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

Goals: 0-1 Kramaric (10'), 1-1 Djilobodji (13')

Red card: Kramaric (77')

Nagelsmann was barely settled in his new surroundings of a Bundesliga bench when his side were in front. Andrej Kramaric rose unmarked to meet Tobias Strobl's cross and nod in from close range. It was an ideal start for the youngest coach in Bundesliga history, but he witnessed the flip side of the coin just minutes later as Papy Djilobodji got enough to Florian Grillitsch's corner to bring Bremen level, with the aid of a deflection off Ermin Bicakcic.

Djilobodji brought a fine save out of Oliver Baumann as he went close to a second, and Bremen turned the pressure up a notch after the interval. Claudio Pizarro and Anthony Ujah both went close before Pizarro again brought a fine save out of Baumann. Djilobodji went closer still, hitting the post before lifting the rebound into Baumann's arms. Hoffenheim had to hold on with ten men for the final 13 minutes with Kramaric shown a second yellow card, but they succeeded, despite another dangerous Djilobodji effort in the dying embers of the game.

Man of the match

Djilobodji not only scored his first Bundesliga goal, but it was his first goal since December 2013 when he scored for Nantes against Toulouse. He nearly had a second too, forcing a fine save out of Baumann and then hitting the post as he posed the biggest Bremen threat.

Talking point

Nagelsmann had a broad smile on his face as he emerged for his coaching debut in the Bundesliga. He shook the hand of everybody on the Bremen bench in a sporting gesture prior to the game, and still had reason to smile at the final whistle after his team had claimed a potentially precious point.

Match stats

    Nagelsmann became the youngest ever coach to sit on the bench in a Bundesliga game, at the age of 28 and six months.Kramaric's first Bundesliga goal came with his fifth shot since joining Hoffenheim this winter.Djilobodji's goal was his first in the Bundesliga and his first in 25 months

Line-ups

Bremen: Wiedwald - Gebre Selassie, Djilobodji, Galvez (46' Öztunali), S. Garcia - Vestergaard – Fritz (c), Grillitsch -Bartels (73' Junuzovic) - Pizarro, Ujah

Hoffenheim: Baumann - Schär, Süle, Bicakcic, Ochs (73' Schmid) – Rudy (c) (66' Hamad), Strobl - Volland, Amiri (81' Polanski), Vargas - Kramaric