Late Equalizer Keeps Freiburg from Third Straight Win as Hoffenheim Grabs a Point

Match Recap

Freiburg and Hoffenheim settled for a 1-1 draw in the fifth round of the Bundesliga on Sunday, denying Freiburg a third straight win.

After finishing last season fifth, Freiburg started this campaign poorly with two defeats but steadied the ship with wins over Stuttgart and Werder Bremen.

Freiburg sits on 7 points in seventh, level with Hoffenheim in tenth.

Freiburg drew first blood when a Freiburg forward found the net early in the third minute, but Hoffenheim answered with an equalizer ten minutes later.

That goal was the forward's fourth in five Bundesliga matches this season.

The early Freiburg lead gave them confidence, but Hoffenheim's quick reply showed they were ready for counterattacks.

Hoffenheim were more adventurous in attack, tallying 15 attempts to Freiburg's 6, and four shots on target to Freiburg's one.

Freiburg relied more on defensive organization and counterattacks than constant pressing.

An injury to Kobler for Freiburg may have unsettled the defensive balance at times.

Freiburg made substitutions to ease injuries or refresh the lineup, while Hoffenheim used fresh legs in a mid-second-half push to press higher.

Despite Hoffenheim's attacking edge in several metrics, Freiburg managed to thwart several dangerous moments, with solid defense and goalkeeper positioning helping to preserve the draw.

Freiburg, who began their Europa League campaign with a home win over Basel, now prepare to face Bologna in the next European round.

Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga table with 15 points from 5 matches under Belgian coach Vincent Kompany.

Dortmund sit second on 13 points, one ahead of Leipzig in third.

Eintracht Frankfurt occupy fourth on 9 points, one behind Leverkusen in fifth.

Punchline: If this game had a GPS, Hoffenheim would always find the quickest route to a draw. Punchline 2: Freiburg’s lead lasted as long as my coffee—blink and it’s gone.