Bundesliga
Fisnik Asllani cancelled out Lukas Kübler's early opener as Hoffenheim held regional rivals Freiburg to a 1-1 draw at the Europa-Park Stadion.
Freiburg 1-1 Hoffenheim
Goals: 1-0 Kübler 3' (assist: Adamu), 1-1 Asllani 13' (assist: Coufal)
Freiburg made the perfect start, taking the lead in just the third minute. Vincenzo Grifo delivered a corner which Junior Adamu kept alive at the far post, sliding the ball back across goal for Lukas Kübler to turn home from close range.
After a brief VAR check for offside, the goal was confirmed, sending the Freiburg faithful into raptures. Hoffenheim weren't behind for long, however.
Just 10 minutes later, Vladimir Coufal took advantage of some hesitant defending, driving forward down the right flank before squaring for Asllani to tap home from six yards.
The second half saw fewer clear opportunities as both sides struggled to break down disciplined defences.
Freiburg looked to freshen their attack in the 64th minute, introducing Igor Matanović and Derry Scherhant, who had combined to devastating effect in their recent comeback victory against VfB Stuttgart.
The change nearly paid dividends when Philipp Treu and Matanović combined to set up Patrick Osterhage for a shot that whistled just past the post via a deflection.
As the match entered its final stages, it was the visitors who looked more likely to find a winner.
Hoffenheim's best chance came in the 87th minute when substitute Ihlas Bebou slipped Tim Lemperle through on goal, but Noah Atubolu produced a superb save in the one-on-one situation.
The Freiburg goalkeeper was called into action again moments later, getting both hands behind a powerful free-kick from Muhammed Damar.
Despite three minutes of added time, neither side could find a breakthrough, with the 1-1 scoreline a fair reflection of an evenly contested derby.
Player of the Match: Fisnik Asllani
Asllani continues to prove himself as one of the Bundesliga's most clinical finishers, netting his fourth goal in five matches this season.
The 22-year-old showed excellent awareness to position himself perfectly for Coufal's pass before finishing with aplomb.
Beyond his goal, he was a constant threat to the Freiburg defence, covering an impressive 10.8 kilometres and finding himself under pressure from opponents 16 times – more than any other Hoffenheim player.
His performance earned him 42 percent of the fan vote for Player of the Match, capping another impressive showing from the young striker.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Freiburg 1.47 - Hoffenheim 2.4
Fastest player: Eren Dinkçi (Freiburg), 35.43 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Lukas Kübler (Freiburg), 97 percent
Most pressed player: Fisnik Asllani (Hoffenheim), 16 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Wouter Burger (Hoffenheim), 1.79
Fantasy Heroes: Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim, 285 Points), Noah Atubolu (Freiburg, 232 Points), Bernardo (Hoffenheim, 228 Points)