Late Jensen strike gives Augsburg vital win over Hoffenheim

Augsburg 1-0 Hoffenheim 
Goals: 1-0 Jensen (88')

Augsburg had more reason for confidence coming into the game, having beaten both Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-0 in their two previous home outings of 2023. It looked like this match might be heading the same way when the home team found the net after only seven minutes. Ermedin Demirovic cut the ball back to the edge of the area and Arne Engels - with the help of a deflection off Angelino - beat Hoffenheim keeper Oliver Baumann. The ball had struck the young Belgian midfielder’s hand before he got his shot away, however, so the goal did not stand. Hoffenheim then gradually started to threaten as the first half wore on, but Kasper Dolberg couldn’t connect with a stooping header and later in the piece Angelino also failed to find the target from a Pavel Kaderabek cross.

Augsburg again thought they had the lead just two minutes into the second half. Kelvin Yeboah couldn’t shake off two defenders inside the area but Demirovic followed up to fortuitously bundle the ball home at the second attempt. That effort was ruled out too, though, after a review found that Yeboah had accidentally but forcefully caught Hoffenheim defender Kevin Vogt in the face with a flailing arm. Vogt was forced off shortly afterwards - another blow to a visiting team that had lost their last four games in all competitions. Hoffenheim introduced Andrej Kramaric past the hour mark, but even the Croatian couldn’t hand Pellegrino Matarazzo his first win since taking over earlier this month. That was largely down to Augsburg keeper Rafal Gikiewicz since the Pole got down well to his right to keep out a sharp, left-footed effort from the substitute. Hoffenheim would have been happier with a point at the end of a hard-fought contest but in the end Augsburg snatched all three. Engels whipped in a corner that was helped on by Jeffrey Gouweleeuw at the near post, and Jensen stretched at the far stick to prod home a vital winner.

• Jensen was introduced in the 76th minute and got his second goal of the campaign. He also scored in Augsburg’s 2-1 victory at Leverkusen on Matchday 2.
• The home side in 13th moved seven points clear of the relegation places and five points above Hoffenheim.
• Augsburg last won three successive home matches in the Bundesliga between November and December of 2019. They’ve now won their last six Friday night fixtures.
• Hoffenheim have now gone 11 Bundesliga games without a win. It’s their longest winless run since February-May 2009, when they failed to take maximum points across 12 straight league games.
• This was Matarazzo’s second game in charge since replacing Andre Breitenreiter as Hoffenheim’s head coach. In his first they lost 3-1 at home to Bayer Leverkusen.

Augsburg: Gikiewicz - Gumny, Gouweleeuw (c), Uduokhai, Veiga (Baumgartlinger 86') - Maier, Engels, Rexhbecaj (Iago 76'), Demirovic (Beljo 76') - Berisha (Bauer 90'), Yeboah (Jensen 76')
Unused subs: Koubek, Vargas, Caligiuri, Mbuku
Out: Cardona (foot), Dorsch (ill), Hahn (knee), Oxford (match fitness), Strobl (cruciate ligament), Vargas (ankle)
Coach: Enrico Maaßen

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Kabak, Vogt (Bicakcic 53'), Brooks - Kaderabek (Akpoguma 78'), Tohumcu, Delaney, Angelino - Baumgartner (Bischof 63'), Bebou (Kramaric 63') - Dolberg (Asllani 46')
Out: Bruun Larsen (groin), Geiger (suspended), Prömel (ankle), Skov (calf)
Unused subs: Philipp, Nsoki, Rudy, Dabbur
Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo