Bundesliga News

Europe: Europa League
FT
5 - 0
(2 - 0)
Hoffenheim
Slovan Liberec
M. Dabour (22), M. Dabour (30), F. Grillitsch (59), S. Adamyan (71), S. Adamyan (76)
StandingReview

Dabbur and Adamyan score braces in 5-0 Hoffenheim romp

By Peter Weis   @PeterVicey

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim made it a perfect five from five for Bundesliga clubs representing their country in the European club competitions this week.
Florian Grillitsch
Florian GrillitschPhoto: Silesia711, CC-by-SA 4.0
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim made it two consecutive routs in a row in the 2020/21 Europa League. This time the Kraichgauer thrashed the group's weakest contenders 5-0.


Despite the fact that the match could have been considered a mismatch on paper, Sinsheimer head coach Sebastian Hoeneß faced his fair share of challenges in building a lineup. Eighteen-year-old Melayro Bogarde made his first team debut in a back-three that also featured Kevin Vogt and Kevin Akpoguma. Sebastian Rudy occasionally floated back from central midfield to assist.

While Hoeneß faced roster problems, opposing head coach Pavel Hoftych had a catastrophe on his hands. The Czech team's corona-ravaged ranks forced him to give professional debuts to three players amid his seven lineup changes.

As one might have expected, the German hosts dominated early against a team missing several of its regular players. After Christoph Baumgartner and Klauss de Melo missed early chances, Munus Dabbur finished calmly after collecting a Robert Skov free kick in the largely unguarded center. Seven minutes, later Dabbur supplied redirection on a Skov free-kick to make it 2-0.

Dabbur's two goals, his 21st and 22nd in the Europa League, actually placed him third in the tournament's all time scorer list. The 28-year-old Israeli international managed the bulk of his tallies when playing for Austrian club RB Salzburg, adding a few more last year for Spanish UEL Super-side FC Sevilla.

Hoeneß subbed off Rudy and Vogt off at the break and brought in Diadie Samassekou and Florian Grillitsch. Though the changes caused the TSG to shift down a gear for ten minutes or so, they were eventually able to reclaim their dominant form. Grillitsch directed an acrobatic effort on target off the volley in the 59th, though Liberec Lukas Hasalik still might have saved the shot that made it 3-0.


Armenian Sargis Adamyan, brought on to replace Dabbur in the 61st, scored a brace of his own; bulging the back of the net from ten meters out in the 71st and headed in an Ishak Belfodil cross in the 76th.

Like Leverkusen, Hoffenheim top their Europa League group halfway through the group stages. Their Czech counterparts, following cancellations in the Eastern European country, may not face another opponent until the return leg against Hoffenheim on November 26th.


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