Goalkeeper Oliver Baumann has voiced strong criticism of TSG Hoffenheim's condition following their 2-3 home defeat to Beşiktaş Istanbul. The club sits 17th in the Bundesliga with just three points from five matches, having lost their last four games in a row.
„That pisses me off,“ said the 34-year-old captain after the match. „We finally have to develop a playing culture that defines us. At the moment, that's not visible.“ Baumann pointed out that the team too often resorts to individual actions and loses the collective plan. The latest result adds to a series of setbacks, including a 2-3 loss to Hamburger SV on October 10th.
Lack of cohesive play
Baumann stressed that the issue is not the players' attitude but the execution on the pitch. He called for more courage and determination in decisive moments. Hoffenheim have scored nine goals this season but conceded thirteen, resulting in a goal difference of minus four. They are ten points behind league leaders SC Freiburg.
The next test comes quickly with an away match against direct rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, October 18th. The last meeting between the two sides ended in a 4-0 defeat for Hoffenheim in May.
Despite recent goals from Fisnik Asllani and Koki Machida against Beşiktaş, the defence remains a concern. The top scorer this season so far is A. Daghim with two goals. The squad must now find a way out of this slump quickly to avoid being dragged deeper into a relegation battle. The match in Mönchengladbach kicks off at 3:30 PM.
This story first appeared at swr.de
