Having completed four strenuous training sessions following their arrival in Kitzbühel on Monday, it was time for the first of the two friendlies on Austrian soil on Wednesday evening. TSG applied pressure from the outset against Hungarian UEFA Conference League participants Puskás Akadémia and found the net in the fourth minute, though Andrej Kramarić was deemed to be offside when he scored. The Hungarians' first chance came in the 10th minute, but the well-placed free-kick from around 20 metres was saved spectacularly by Oliver Baumann. Further chances fell to Kramarić and Georginio in the 17th and 23rd minutes, with both narrowly missing the target.
But the TSG fans in attendance got the breakthrough they had been waiting for in the 34th minute when Robert Skov opened the scoring, with his free-kick from a centre-right position taking a deflection off the wall on its way past the Hungarian keeper. Five minutes later, TSG netted again: Dennis Geiger played a corner towards the back post and Kramarić volleyed home.
Coach André Breitenreiter switched up the entire team at the interval. Munas Dabbur went clean through on goal following an outstanding pass from Kevin Vogt in the 57th minute, and the Israeli lobbed the opposition shot-stopper – only to be denied by the crossbar. The woodwork thwarted yet another goal only a minute later, with Fisnik Asllani this time the player denied. Kevin Akpoguma then saw his close-range effort following a corner kept out by the Puskás Akadémia No. 1 in the 77th minute. The final whistle sounded with the score 2-0.
"We played very well off the ball and showed a good attitude. We're on the right track and need to keep going in this vein," said Andrej Kramarić.
TSG will be up against Serie A club Salernitana, whose side includes former Bundesliga star Franck Ribéry, in their second Kitzbühel friendly on Saturday. The match kicks off at 15:00 CET.
TSG Hoffenheim first-half line-up: Baumann – Posch, Rudy, Hübner – Kadeřábek, Prömel, Geiger, Baumgartner, Skov – Georginio, Kramarić
TSG Hoffenheim second-half line-up: Pentke – Adams, Vogt, Akpoguma – Bogarde, Stiller, Samassékou, Becker, Raum – Dabbur, Asllani (Damar, 79)
Goals: 1-0 Skov (34), 2-0 Kramarić (39)
