Hoffenheim 1-1 Borussia Dortmund
It was billed by some as a clash between two of English football’s brightest talents, Reiss Nelson and Jadon Sancho.
As it turned out, only one of the England Under-19 forwards featured in this Bundesliga 2018 encounter and he entered the fray to help ensure his side earned a share of the spoils.
Considering both sides qualified for the Champions League last season on goal difference, a close contest always looked a likely prospect in the Rhein-Neckar Arena in Sinsheim.
Highlights of the game
It’s probably true many SBOBET fans have not heard of either player, but Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund were only too well aware to snap up the prospects, Nelson on a season-long loan.
After he provided one of the Bundesliga 2018 news stories last weekend, after scoring on his debut – at 18 years old and 280 days the youngest scorer in the division this season – it was Sancho’s turn to take the headlines as Dortmund salvaged a point.
The 18-year-old came on with an hour played and Dortmund deservedly trailing to a Joelinton goal from the edge of the box just a minute before the break.
Dortmund had struggled to create chances, perhaps not too surprising given they were without on-loan Barcelona striker Paco Alcacer (injured) and Mario Gotze (out of favour).
Gotze, who figured for Dortmund in pre-season, may not have a future at Dortmund under new manager Lucien Favre.
Joelinton and Croatian frontman Andrej Kramaric were lively and the hosts, who also saw an Ermin Bicakcic goal correctly disallowed (but the decision to chalk off the Bosnian’s header took a rather long time), saw their hopes of victory increase just under quarter of an hour from time when French defender Abdou Diallo was shown a red card for grappling with Kramaric.
Even with the benefit of VAR, the decision seemed harsh!
Whether Sancho, who says he has much to prove at Dortmund and his team-mates felt they could muster an equaliser with 10 men is unclear. But they certainly were determined, and the introduction of Sancho and Maximilian Philipp led to skipper Marco Reus getting more involved in the play.
It paid off six minutes from time when the visiting captain got in behind the home defence and crossed for American international Christian Pulisic to tap the ball home and claim a second important goal in four days.
He had also netted a late winner against Club Brugge in the Champions League in midweek.
There was nearly even later drama.
Almost immediately, Reus crossed again and Philipp was inches away from converting.
Then, with the clock showing the first of three minutes of stoppage time, home midfielder Nico Schulz’s cross-cum-shot fell into the path of substitute Ishak Belfodil, but he fired the ball over the crossbar.
A draw between two of Germany’s four Champions League representatives and a result which suggests their battle for a top-four finish this time around may well be equally as close.
Key statistics
Hoffenheim have now gone seven games unbeaten at home (four wins, three defeats).
Nelson, who is on loan from Arsenal, is one of seven young English players plying their trade in the Bundesliga this season.
Dortmund are now unbeaten in seven games on the road (five wins, two draws).
In the build-up to this game, Hoffenheim owner Dietmar Hopp announced earlier in the week that he is to press charges against more than 30 Dortmund supporters who directed defamatory or insulting chants and banners against him. It relates to a match between these two sides on the final day of last season.
Software mogul Hopp has regularly been the target of insults from some sets of fans after financing Hoffenheim’s rise from the village leagues to the Bundesliga.
What’s next?
The Bundesliga 2018 betting odds all favour Bayern Munich for the top prize, but these two sides are certainly making an impact and ensuring more illustrious rivals to sit up and take notice.
Hoffenheim have a busy fortnight ahead.
They travel to Hannover 96 in midweek before taking on RB Leipzig a week from today – the seeming destiny of coach Julian Nagelsmann next summer.
English champions Manchester City are the visitors in 10 days time, and then German Cup holders Eintracht Frankfurt are in town before the international break.
Newly promoted Nuremberg await Dortmund next before a trip to Bayer Leverkusen.
Then it’s two home games in four days for Favre’s men who host AS Monaco in the Champions League and welcome FC Augsburg to the Westfalenstadion.
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