Leipzig beat Hoffenheim: Jolt Loew proud of team's fighting spirit

In the 28th round of the 2024/25 Bundesliga, Leipzig defeated Hoffenheim 3-1 after falling behind by one goal thanks to goals from Sheshko, Bot Baku and Yussuf Poulsen. Interim coach Zsolt Loew said he was proud of the team's fighting spirit in achieving a comeback and hoped that the team could continue to make progress.

Bazumana Touré won the ball in the 11th minute and assisted Tom Bischoff to score, giving Hoffenheim a 3-1 lead. In the 24th minute, Raum took a corner kick and Sheshko jumped up and headed the ball into the goal, helping Leipzig to equalize the score 1-1. In the 28th minute, Ostigau was shown a red card by the referee for knocking down Oponda, leaving Hoffenheim with 10 players.

In the 43rd minute, Leipzig's attack was cleared, and Bot Baku scored with a volley, helping Leipzig to overtake 2 to 1. In the 84th minute of the second half, Yussuf Poulsen received a pass from his teammate, made a slight adjustment, and then shot in, extending Leipzig's lead to 3 to 1.

In the end, Leipzig reversed Hoffenheim 3-1 at the Red Bull Arena.

Interim coach Jolt Loew, who led Leipzig in the game for the first time, said, "The team performed very well. We were eliminated in the German Cup earlier. Both mentally and physically, there was limited time for everyone to recover. It was a special moment for me to be able to return to the Red Bull Arena, and now standing here as a coach, the feeling is naturally completely different. You are not just part of the process, but the one who needs to make decisions."

“We have a team that is willing to learn and listen. I hope to have more time to train and communicate in the coming weeks. After all, the previous schedule was very tight and we didn’t have many such opportunities. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, I am satisfied with the team’s performance, but there is still room for improvement, and we will continue to work hard next.”

Jolt Loew continued, "We just had a tough game against Stuttgart, while Hoffenheim had more time to rest. We lost the goal early in the game and we were unable to get rid of the physical fatigue, but because of this I am particularly proud of the team's equalization and reversal through a set-piece in an unfavorable situation. The luck we lacked against Stuttgart is now back to us."

Yussuf Poulsen, who scored for Leipzig, said, "It's always a great feeling to win, and of course I'm happy to score. But in the final analysis, the most important thing is to get these three points, which will help us achieve the team's goals, and we hope to participate in the Champions League again next season."