Intro
Hoffenheim strengthen Champions League push while Leipzig drop points after stoppage-time penalty
Berlin
A stunning long-range strike from Alexander Prass helped Hoffenheim tighten their grip on third place in the Bundesliga with a gritty 2-0 victory away at Werder Bremen, while RB Leipzig were held to a dramatic 1-1 draw at St Pauli after conceding a late penalty.
Hoffenheim, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, continued their remarkable resurgence with goals from Prass and Grischa Proemel, extending their strong run to just one defeat in the last 13 league matches. The win keeps them in the Champions League places, three points behind Borussia Dortmund.
Prass broke Bremen’s resistance just before halftime with a spectacular long-range effort that flew past the goalkeeper, underlining Hoffenheim’s confidence and attacking intent. Their task became tougher early in the second half when Wouter Burger was sent off following a VAR review for a dangerous challenge.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Hoffenheim maintained their intensity and doubled their lead just two minutes later. Proemel reacted quickest to a rebound from a Vladimir Coufal cross to finish from close range and effectively seal the contest. Bremen thought they had a lifeline when Romano Schmid produced a clever backheel, but the effort was ruled out for a narrow offside.
“The numbers don’t come from nothing,” Proemel told. “We play intense football and run so much. We know the Champions League is still a long way away, but we have to keep this up.”
In Hamburg, Leipzig appeared set to claim all three points when Yan Diomande’s deflected strike gave them a 66th-minute lead — their first-ever goal at St Pauli’s Millerntor Stadium. However, deep into stoppage time, captain David Raum slipped and fouled Martijn Kaars in the box. The forward converted the resulting penalty to earn St Pauli a vital point in their relegation battle.
“For us it’s extremely unlucky, but it’s a penalty,” Leipzig midfielder Christoph Baumgartner admitted.
Both matches had been rescheduled from early January due to severe winter weather, with the final delayed fixture set for early March.