Ritsu Doan strikes at the death to give Freiburg victory over Hoffenheim

Freiburg 2-1 Hoffenheim
Goals 1-0 Eggestein 5', 1-1 Stiller 49' (assist: Dabbur), 2-1 Doan 89' (assist: Weißhaupt)
Red card: Kabak (84')

It took the hosts just five minutes to race in front, with their struggling visitors caught cold by the first real attack of the game. Maximilian Eggestein was the man who opened the scoring for Freiburg, rattling home from 12 yards out after Vincenzo Grifo's cross from the left caused havoc in the middle of the Hoffenheim box. It was a goal that came from nothing and there was little other goalmouth action for the remainder of the first half. TSG striker Munas Dabbur almost got on the end of Ihlas Bebou's cutback, but both Mark Flekken and Matthias Ginter were on hand to snuff out the danger before Dabbur had any chance of pulling the trigger. Ritsu Doan then fired over shortly before half-time as Die Breisgauer took a 1-0 lead into the break.

A rapid start to the second half saw the advantage cancelled out within four minutes of the restart. Dabbur collected the ball on the edge of the box, squaring to Angelo Stiller, who fired home on his left foot from 18 yards out. Michael Gregoritsch twice tried to restore the home team's lead, but a mixture of side netting and Oliver Baumann, respectively, kept the Freiburg man out. Dabbur also saw his shot from the edge of the box well blocked on the hour mark, with both defences resisting their opponents' advances. A scrappy affair unfolded as the game headed to its conclusion, culminating in Ozan Kabak being given a red card for a second bookable offence with just five minutes to play. It opened the door for Freiburg to go on and collect all three points, which they did - Doan popping up in the 89th minute to resign Hoffenheim to yet another loss and keep Christian Streich's side in the title race.

• Doan ended an 18-game Bundesliga barren spell.
• Eggestein scored his first goal of the season, with his most recent previous effort in the Bundesliga coming on Matchday 14 of the 2021/22 campaign.
• Stiller also found the back of the net for the first time in 2022/23, ending his own top-flight drought that went back to Matchday 32 of last term.
• It was just the second goal of Matarazzo's TSG tenure and Hoffenheim's run of 14 Bundesliga matches without a win extends an unwanted club record.

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Freiburg: Flekken - Kübler (Sildillia 65'), Ginter, Gulde, Günter (c) - Eggestein, Höfler - Doan (Keitel 90'+3), Höler (Jeong 80'), Grifo (Weißhaupt 65') - Gregoritsch (Petersen 80')
Unused subs: Uphoff, Schmidt, Sallai, Röhl
Out: Kyereh (cruciate ligament), Lienhart (thigh)

Coach: Christian Streich

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Kabak, Brooks, Akpoguma - Kaderabek, Becker (Damar 75'), Geiger, Stiller (Bicakcic 87'), Skov (Angelino 75') - Bebou (Asllani 78'), Dabbur (Tohumcu 87')
Unused subs: Philipp, Delaney, Bischof, Kramaric
Out: Baumgartner (suspended), Bruun Larsen (groin), Che (knee), Dolberg (concussion), Prömel (ankle), Rudy (thigh)
Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo