In the 32nd minute, after Paljic scored a header to help Hoffenheim lead 3-0, Hoffenheim finally slowed down the pace of attack.
After all, no one can withstand continuous attacks, not even the most physically fit players.
Only after Hoffenheim slowed down the pace did Hamburg finally get a chance to catch their breath and begin trying to counterattack.
However, Hamburg, which was trailing 0-3, was a little impatient and could not organize the attack patiently. Most of the time, when they encountered interceptions in the front court, they just took a long shot and finished the game.
But without Lu Wenbin's shooting accuracy and power, the success rate of long-range shots is very low.
Therefore, until the end of the first half, Hamburg was unable to score a single point, and both sides entered the halftime break with a score of 3-0.
During the half-time break, Ralph thought about it and did not make any substitutions. Instead, he told the players to continue scoring goals and completely kill the game.
If they can achieve a 4-0 or even 5-0 victory, Hamburg will not be able to make a comeback in the second round, and Hoffenheim will not have to consider an away game in the second round.
At that time, Hoffenheim can focus on the league, strive to win the championship in advance, and then fully prepare for the two cup competitions.
However, even though they thought so, the Hamburg team, which had already reached the semi-finals, obviously did not want to give up.
After the adjustments during the half-time break, Hamburg seemed to have regained its morale. The defense was tighter in the second half and did not give Hoffenheim too many opportunities.
After all, Hamburg is a team at the top of the standings and is still very strong.
In the first half, we were a little confused by Hoffenheim's goal in the first 4 minutes. Then Hoffenheim's continuous attack caused many loopholes in the defense, and we fell behind by 3 goals in the 32nd minute of the first half.
After a buffer period at halftime, Hamburg performed much better in the second half.
In the 56th minute, Yaisle wanted to make an assist from the wing, but the ball was intercepted by the opponent just after passing the midfield and he almost launched a counterattack.
Fortunately, Hamburg's final cross was headed out by Nilsson and was not headed by Hamburg's forward.
After the two sides were in a stalemate for 60 minutes, Hamburg finally became a little impatient again.
If the score ends with 3-0, without any away goals, it cannot be said that Hamburg is doomed, but it will obviously be difficult to turn the tables in the second round.
Therefore, Hamburg stepped up their attack, not seeking a reversal, but only an away goal, to retain a little hope of a comeback in the second round at home.
However, after Hamburg strengthened their attack, the defense line inevitably became loose again.
In the 68th minute, Hamburg had not yet scored an away goal, but Hoffenheim scored first.
Lu Wenbin shook off Boateng in the penalty area and ran into a gap to receive a wonderful pass from Eduardo, then forced a shot despite the impact of De Jong.
After kicking the ball, Lu Wenbin was knocked to the ground by De Jong.
But it doesn't matter anymore.
Because the ball shot by Lu Wenbin had accurately penetrated into the lower right corner of the goal, a blind spot shot, and goalkeeper Rost failed to save it.
As he fell to the ground and watched the ball go into the net, Lu Wenbin immediately turned over and got up, excitedly rushed to the sidelines, threw himself into the arms of the fans, and celebrated vigorously with the fans on the scene.
The score of 4-0 and the goal scored in the confrontation with the world-famous midfielder De Jong made Lu Wenbin full of excitement.
After celebrating with the fans and teammates for a while, Lu Wenbin and others returned to their own half at the reminder of the referee, allowing Hamburg to restart the game with a kick from the center circle.
Trailing 0-4, Hamburg had no choice but to attack without hesitation and try to score goals.
After more than ten minutes of fierce attack, Hamburg finally scored a wonderful long-range shot in the 82nd minute and equalized one point, making the score Hoffenheim 4-1 Hamburg.
Of course, this is far from enough, and Hamburg continues to pursue goals.
However, Hoffenheim's defense was not so easy to break. The starting central defender combination of Jancker and Nilsson withstood the test and did not allow Hamburg to score in the last ten minutes.
Hoffenheim, on the other hand, had some bad luck.
Salihovic's long shot from the penalty area line slipped out of the goal, and Lu Wenbin's own free kick hit the goal frame and bounced back into the penalty area and was cleared.
After 90 minutes, the referee blew the whistle to end the game. Hoffenheim defeated their opponent Hamburg 4-1 at home in the first leg of the 2008/2009 UEFA Cup semi-final.
Lu Wenbin received a reward of 80,000 experience points for scoring 2 goals and 80,000 experience points for the team's win, for a total of 160,000 experience points. The experience points increased to level 16, 627,000/2 million.
For Hoffenheim supporters, it was quite frustrating that they failed to keep a clean sheet and allowed Hamburg to score an away goal.
However, the 4-1 victory was still a great success, and it is even more rare for Hoffenheim in the second half of the season.
Apart from the 4-0 home win over Zenit St. Petersburg in the first leg of the UEFA Cup quarter-final, no game in the second half of the season was easier and more exciting than this one.
After several months of hard struggle, Hoffenheim finally fully recovered in this game and displayed the same momentum that the team had in the first half of the season on all fronts, making people no longer so worried and nervous.
Therefore, after the game, the fans were reluctant to leave for a long time. They kept singing and celebrating in the stadium, interacting with the team members who lined up to express their gratitude, and celebrated for more than half an hour before gradually dispersing.
After the game, both the German media and other foreign media reporting on the UEFA Cup agreed that the UEFA Cup semi-final between Hoffenheim and Hamburg had lost its suspense.
The score of 4-1 basically killed the suspense of the second round.
Although there is a precedent of Deportivo La Coruna defeating AC Milan 1-4 away and 4-0 at home, it is only one case after all, otherwise it cannot be called a miracle.
In most cases, it is very difficult to turn the tables in the second round after losing by three goals in the first round.
Therefore, everyone agrees that Hoffenheim can focus the team's energy on the league and strive to win the league title ahead of schedule.
But Ralph didn't think so.
In Ralph's mind, there are still five league games left. Even if he gives up the league game between the two League Cup games, there are still four games left, which leaves enough room for error.
But the League Cup must not be lost.
The score of 4-1 is not 4-0. After all, Hamburg still has an away goal. In the second round, Hamburg only needs to win 3-0 to eliminate Hoffenheim.
Therefore, after the first round of the game, Ralph decided to give up the next league game and prepare for the second round of the UEFA Cup semi-final away game against Hamburg.
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