The match between Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin was the first game of the 29th round of the Bundesliga, and no one expected what would happen next.
On the second and third days, when this round of the Bundesliga was over, everyone was shocked to find that except for Hertha Berlin losing directly to Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich, Hamburg and other teams in the second group of the standings all lost.
Hoffenheim, which experienced various setbacks in the second half of the season, has not collapsed yet, but these competitors all failed in this round.
So, after the 29th round, Hoffenheim was already 13 points ahead of second-placed Wolfsburg in the standings.
With only 18 teams in the Bundesliga and 34 home and away games, there are only five league games left until the end of the season.
The 13-point lead means that in the next five league games, Hoffenheim only needs to win one more game to be crowned the Bundesliga champion, regardless of the outcome of the opponent's game.
Given Hoffenheim and Lu Wenbin's current state, no one would believe that Hoffenheim can't win any of the five league games.
Therefore, with such a huge points advantage, it can almost be announced that Hoffenheim will definitely win the Bundesliga championship this season. It just depends on which game they choose to win according to their schedule.
This situation allows the entire Hoffenheim team to face the first round of the UEFA Cup semi-final home game against Hamburg with a fairly relaxed attitude.
Although the schedule of playing at home first and away later is somewhat disadvantageous, Nilsson and Obasi have returned, and Eduardo can participate in the UEFA Cup.
Hoffenheim, with the whole team full of confidence and relaxed, will not let Hamburg snatch their place in the UEFA Cup final!
After a full 6 days of rest, at 8:00 p.m. on April 30, the first leg of the 2008/2009 UEFA Cup semi-final between Hoffenheim and Hamburg officially began at home.
Hamburg's morale was low because they had one day less rest in the league and lost the game.
Hoffenheim had a full six days of rest and still established a huge points lead in the standings. The whole team was in high spirits and high morale.
Eduardo, who was suspended and unable to participate in domestic competitions, was determined to vent his energy in the League Cup.
The outcome of this game was determined before it even started.
Although Hamburg tried their best to use midfielder De Jong and Boateng to mark Lu Wenbin, Lu Wenbin was not the only one who could score goals for Hoffenheim, which had all its main players on the field.
Apart from the absence of Ibisevic, the Hoffenheim team is no different from the first half of the season.
What's more, after participating in several months of games in the second half of the season, Paljic's personal ability and team cooperation have improved a lot.
Lu Wenbin alone can distract two or three opponents from defending, giving Eduardo, Salihovic, Demba Ba and others many offensive opportunities.
Just 4 minutes into the game, Lu Wenbin led Hamburg's De Jong and Boateng to the wing, and then Eduardo broke through the middle, attracting the attention of the remaining players and making a diagonal pass to the penalty area.
Demba Ba broke into the penalty area from the wing, shot the ball, and the ball flew into the net from under the goalkeeper's armpit.
Hoffenheim got off to a dream start, leading Hamburg 1-0 in just the fourth minute.
Hoffenheim's players ran wildly on the field to celebrate, and the packed stands of the Rhine-Neckar Arena also burst into thunderous applause and cheers.
Hoffenheim's attack did not stop after the restart.
After having enough rest, the entire Hoffenheim team seemed to have found the feeling of being invincible in the first half of the season, which is a very rare scene in the second half of the season full of setbacks and difficulties.
Especially Eduardo, who was unable to participate in domestic competitions, ran all over the field in this game and was in great form. From his own penalty area to the opponent's penalty area, his figure could be seen everywhere.
In the 17th minute, Gustavo made a tackle at the front of his own penalty area and cut off Hamburg midfielder Trochowski's dribbling.
The shoveled ball fell to the feet of Eduardo who returned to his own half. Eduardo ran a long distance with the ball and broke through two people in succession. He was about to rush to the top of the Hamburg team's penalty area before he was helplessly pulled to the ground by the last Hamburg defender Reinhardt.
The referee awarded Hoffenheim a free kick about 22 meters from the goal.
Reinhardt thought he had successfully stopped Eduardo, but he regretted it soon after.
Because Lu Wenbin activated the system's special skills and kicked the free kick directly into the dead corner, the goalkeeper Rost was out of reach and could only watch the ball go into the net.
It seemed that Lu Wenbin had better luck in this game. Although he had not been able to score a goal in many games, he also used his system skills to score a free kick at such a close distance.
Just 18 minutes into the game, Hoffenheim was already leading Hamburg 2-0 at home after Lu Wenbin scored a direct free kick.
Hamburg head coach Jol was a little crazy on the sidelines, but he couldn't come up with any solution.
De Jong, known as the beast waist, and defender Boateng faithfully carried out his tactical instructions and worked together to prevent Lu Wenbin's goal in open play, but they could not prevent Lu Wenbin's free kick.
Moreover, Hamburg's overall strength is indeed far behind Hoffenheim, and the combined goal of Eduardo and Demba Ba is proof of this.
Coupled with various on- and off-field factors that were favorable to Hoffenheim, Jol had no idea how to fight against Hoffenheim.
Jol on the sidelines was still scratching his head, unable to think of a solution. On the field, Hoffenheim, who had scored two goals, had not stopped their fierce attack.
In the 32nd minute, Jaisler, a full-back who rarely makes forward runs, suddenly made a forward run after intercepting the ball in the backcourt, causing a panic in the Hamburg team's midfield and backcourt.
After breaking through to the midfield and someone defending him, Jaisler passed the ball to Eduardo in the open space in the middle, then continued to move forward and rushed into Hamburg's half.
Eduardo passed the ball again, and after Yaisle and Eduardo completed a two-pass combination, he continued to dribble the ball and made a cross from the bottom of the wing.
The ball flew into the penalty area of the Hamburg team. Paljic jumped high in the penalty area, grabbed the first point and headed the ball.
And he smashed the ball to the ground, making it bounce off the ground.
The ball bounced on the ground in front of the goal line, and then bounced into the goal from under the armpit of Rost who wanted to fall to the ground to save the ball but whose body had not yet completely fallen.
In the 32nd minute, full-back Jaisle assisted Paljic to score a header, helping Hoffenheim take a 3-0 lead.
I feel like Hoffenheim was winning no matter how they played today.
With a goal in the penalty area, a direct free kick and a header, Hoffenheim was already leading 3-0 in just half an hour of the first half.
Thousands of Hamburg fans who came with the team could only look despair in the corner of the stands as they watched Hoffenheim players running wildly on the field to celebrate.
The more than 30,000 home fans and tens of thousands of fans outside the stadium who did not buy tickets cheered loudly.
It seems that Hoffenheim, who has been plagued by injuries and suspensions for several months, is finally going to have a satisfying home win.
Moreover, it is the crucial League Cup semi-final!