A victory to round off the training camp: TSG Hoffenheim emerged as 4-2 victors from their 120-minute-long friendly against Dutch champions Feyenoord. Decked out in their new white away shirts, TSG attacked efficiently while their opponents from Rotterdam only threatened from a distance. With that in mind, it was a deserved victory in the end.
TSG Hoffenheim made an imposing start and already got into a dangerous position in front of the opposition goal in the first minute, but the cross from Marius Bülter, who had been picked out by John Anthony Brooks’ lofted ball, was cleared by the Feyenoord defence as Ihlas Bebou waited to pounce. But TSG used the next opportunity to take the lead shortly afterwards, with Pavel Kadeřábek firing Andrej Kramarić’s pass low into the bottom left corner from 16 metres out (6).
The Dutch outfit might have subsequently seized control, but they could not pick out any gaps in the compact TSG backline. Bebou had the chance to extend the lead shortly before the first break in the match, which was played over four 30-minute periods, but he could not beat Netherlands goalie Justin Bijlow following Kadeřábek’s cross.
TSG upped the ante in the second quarter: Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team linked up strongly from the back and through the midfield, before Florian Grillitsch played Kadeřábek in down the right flank via a through-ball. The scorer of the opener returned the favour by providing the assist for Kramarić, who converted the cross to make it 2-0 (44). The only notable attempts from the Dutch champions were two shots from long range, but TSG’s first-half line-up successfully defended their clean sheet.
Matarazzo replaced almost the entire team after the first 60 minutes with Maximilian Beier, who had only come on for Kramarić after 45 minutes, the only player to keep his place on the pitch. The Rotterdam outfit made the better start to the second period: Luca Philip initially made a strong stop to keep out a long-distance strike, but the TSG custodian did not have a chance from the resultant corner as Antoni Milambo curled the ball into the far corner from the left (73). The Dutch side kept their foot on the gas and levelled the scores a short while later, with Danilo firing unstoppably into the top right corner from around 20 metres out.
The Champions League participants subsequently went in search of the lead, but it was TSG who scored the next goal: Angelo Stiller threaded the ball through to Jacob Bruun Larsen, who lobbed the Feyenoord goalie for 3-2 (89). The Dane had the opportunity to extend the lead on the 104-minute mark, but his header from a Robert Skov cross narrowly missed the target. However, Hoffenheim did wrap up the victory 10 minutes later: a well-worked attack resulted in Bruun Larsen squaring the ball to Stiller, who calmly slotted home (114).
“We can be satisfied. I saw a lot of light, but some darkness too. Given where we are in pre-season, that was a very good performance from us,” said Pellegrino Matarazzo. The game against Feyenoord marked the end of the training camp in Kitzbühel. After the match, the team began the homeward journey to Zuzenhausen, where the preparations for the new season will continue.
First-half line-up: Baumann – Ozan Kabak, Brooks, Vogt – Kadeřábek, Grillitsch, Becker, Bülter – Kramarić (Beier, 45), Damar – Bebou
Second-half line-up: Philipp (Noll, 91) – Justvan, Akpoguma, Quarshie, Nsoki – Bischof, Samassékou, Stiller, Skov – Beier (Conté, 94), Bruun Larsen
Goals: 1-0 Kadeřábek (6), 2-0 Kramarić (44), 2-1 Milambo (73), 2-2 Danilo (79), 3-2 Bruun Larsen (89), 4-2 Stiller (114)