Fisnik Asllani left TSG Hoffenheim on Tuesday to join Elversberg on loan, and there was already a reunion on Wednesday. The striker went up against TSG in a friendly and immediately went into the starting line-up for his new employers.
Both teams defended well in the opening stages and did not give away any major goalscoring chances. TSG took the lead with their first good opportunity after a quarter of an hour. Tom Bischof delivered the ball into the middle following a lovely corner-kick routine and Robin Fellhauer unluckily turned the ball into his own net from close range (16).
Luca Philipp had to intervene for the first time after around half an hour but was able to save a free-kick from approximately 25 metres with relative ease (29). Ihlas Bebou had the chance to up the score to 2-0 shortly before half-time, but the striker fired over the mark following a corner by Pavel Kadeřábek (44).
There were several changes on both sides during the course of the second half. Both teams again gave little away but a set-piece brought about the second goal for TSG. Simon Kalambayi spectacularly slotted home from close range with a free-kick following a scramble (69).
Further goals followed in quick succession. Elversberg first cut the deficit through a Florian Le Joncour header from a free-kick only three minutes later (72), then Max Moerstedt re-established the two-goal lead after being set up by Hennes Behrens (74).
Not much happened after that, with the score remaining at 3-1. TSG Hoffenheim will travel to their Kitzbühel training camp on Saturday. There, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team will play two additional friendlies. TSG will first go up against Norwich City (30 July at 18:00 CEST), before facing Ipswich Town (3 August at 13:30 CEST).
First-half line-up: Philipp – Drexler, Stach, Akpoguma – Kadeřábek, Bischof, Geiger, Bülter – Prömel, Tohumcu – Bebou
Second-half line-up: Philipp (Petersson, 61) – Stach (Strobl, 61), Drexler (Samassékou, 61), Akpoguma (Erlein, 61) – Tohumcu (Justvan, 61), Prömel (Damar, 61), Micheler, Behrens – Bebou (Kalambayi, 61), Bischof (Hennrich, 61) – Moerstedt
Goals: 1-0 Fellhauer (own goal, 16), 2-0 Kalambayi (69), 2-1 Le Joncour (72), 3-1 Moerstedt (74)