Ihlas Bebou hits and hits and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim is still flying high even after the winter break. The team of coach Sebastian Hoeneß defeated the harmless FC Augsburg 3-1 (2-1) at the start of the second half of the Bundesliga. The 27-year-old Bebou turned the game on Saturday after the 0: 1 by Michael Gregoritsch (5th minute) with two goals (38th / 44th) and now has seven goals. In the third minute of stoppage time, international David Raum scored the final score. Augsburg's record purchase Ricardo Pepi, on the other hand, could not yet play in the foreground in front of only 500 spectators in Sinsheim due to the corona.
Coach Markus Weinzierl only brought the 18-year-old US striker with the shirt number 18 after an hour.
Pepi was brought in from MLS club FC Dallas for a transfer fee of 13 million euros plus bonus payments and was given a contract until the summer of 2026 plus an option for another season.
With only 18 goals in 18 games, Augsburg are once again demonstrating one of their problems in the relegation battle.
While the Weinzierl team slipped to the relegation place 16, the Hoffenheim underpinned their international ambitions.
TSG have now been unbeaten for seven games, with five threesomes.
Both teams were only slightly affected by corona cases: At Augsburg, substitute keeper Tomas Koubek was missing, at Hoffenheim, Ermin Bicakcic, who was already long-term injured, was missing.
Obviously more serious at TSG was the cold-related failure of defense chief Florian Grillitsch.
In the opening goal after a cross from Arne Maier, Gregoritsch was able to create the necessary space with a short movement - and headed in from five meters.
The first excitement of an eventful initial phase occurred after less than 60 seconds.
Munas Dabbur poked the ball over the goal line when FCA goalkeepers Rafal Gikiewicz and Niklas Dorsch couldn't get it away.
However, the video evidence showed that Dabbur had taken his hand to help.
The gate didn't count.
Very disciplined and physically present, the guests initially defended - until a cross from space landed right at Bebou and the attacker made it 1-1.
When the pass came a few minutes later from the other side of Kevin Akpoguma, Bebou was back with the tip of his foot and made it 2-1.
Far too little went forward with the Augsburgers, who were lucky that the opponent messed up the ball in some promising scenes.
Pepi and the substitute Florian Niederlechner should then revive the offensive.
The American then had his foot on a cross (68th), but could no longer help his team to equalize.
Instead, Raum came to an end very late for Hoffenheim.