Yahoo Sports OFFICIAL | Jeong Woos Union Berlin to Victory Against Hoffenheim
Two goals inside the first six minutes from Tom Rothe and Jeong lift Union Berlin into third as Hoffenheim drop into the Bundesliga relegation zone with a lacklustre performance in Köpenick.
Story of the match
Union Berlin welcomed TSG Hoffenheim boasting the best defence in the Bundesliga.
With five points from their first three games, Bo Svensson’s side have conceded just once and he named a full-strength side, with South Korean, Wooyeong Jeong making his first home start in midfield.
In contrast, Pelegrino Matarazzo’s Hoffenheim have one of the worst defences in the league, having already conceded nine goals in their opening three games.
With just three points to their name, a 3-2 win against new boys Kiel, Hoffenheim were defeated 4-1 by Bayer Leverkusen last time out and the initial stages were true to form.
Union Berlin came flying out of the traps and were two goals ahead inside six minutes.
In the third minute, Benedict Hollerbach’s trickery won a corner that fell to Tom Rothe, 10 yards out.
On the half-volley, the left wing-back fired the ball past a helpless Oliver Baumann into his top right corner.
The Union fans had barely had time to finish celebrating when Jeong doubled the lead.
In the fifth minute, Hollerbach forced a save from the left and the rebound eventually fell to Jeong.
The South Korean midfielder turned the desperate Hoffenheim defence inside and out to calmly score from the same spot ten yards out.
Union were dominant in possession and continued to create chances.
In the 22nd minute, Jeong had an effort cleared off the line and two minutes later, Hollerbach curled agonisingly over from 18 yards.
Half-time couldn’t come soon enough for Hoffenheim but they dug deep and held out after managing just one short on target in the opening 45 minutes.
The second half started much like the first.
Jeong and Hollerbach had openings to extend Union’s lead but the first real chance fell to Hoffenheim.
Former Hertha BSC striker, Haris Tabakovic replaced Mergim Berisha in the 57th minute and was immediately involved as his header from six yards was saved by Rönnow low to his right.
Matarazzo made two more changes and they paid immediate dividends as Hoffenheim halved the deficit in the 67th minute.
Marius Bülter drilled a low effort past Rönnow into the bottom right corner to give Hoffenheim hope of an unlikely comeback.
Union grew nervy as the game turned scrappy but held on for the three points.
Moment of the Match
In a first half defined by Hoffenheim’s disinterest and Union’s clinical attack, it was epitomised in added time.
Hoffenheim had won a free-kick 30 yards out from Rönnow’s goal in a rare foray into the Union half.
Drexler lined up a shot and missed the target high and wide by more than 15 yards, resembling a rugby conversion.
It hit the roof of the Waldseite stand and Drexler was promptly substituted at half-time.
Whilst Matarazzo will be pleased with the second half performance, the damage was done inside the first six minutes.
The defeat drops Hoffenheim into the relegation zone whilst the win lifts Union into third.
It is early days in the Bundesliga but Matarazzo has a lot of work to do.
Union can start to dream of what might be possible.
The sky seems to be their limit.
