SINSHEIM: In the Bundesliga clash on Friday, Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric struck in the dying moments of regular time to secure a 1-1 draw against 10-man RB Leipzig at their home ground. Leipzig had controlled much of the game, leading from Benjamin Sesko’s 38th-minute header off a cross from Germany’s David Raum, extending his scoring streak to five matches.
Xavi Simons, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, received a yellow card early in the second half for a handball infringement and was sent off after picking up a second yellow for a challenge on Anton Stach. Despite Leipzig’s numerical disadvantage, they held firm until Kramaric capitalized on Marius Buelter’s delivery at the 90-minute mark.
The late equalizer denied Leipzig third place, leaving them one point adrift of Stuttgart, who would face Bayern Munich the following day. Leipzig’s sporting director, Rouven Schroeder, lamented the late goal but acknowledged the deserved nature of the draw, emphasizing the team’s ongoing pursuit of third place.
However, Leipzig’s guaranteed place in the Champions League next season provided some consolation. Germany’s success in European competitions, led by Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen, secured the country a fifth spot in the competition, surpassing England and France. Meanwhile, Hoffenheim’s draw propelled them to seventh place, positioning them for a return to European football for the first time since 2019.
