Hoffenheim hopes of Champions League dashed after mauling from Gladbach

[p]The visitors missed a great chance to take the lead early on, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kramaric-andrej/6V0rWuu1/"]Andrej Kramaric[/a] shooting straight at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nicolas-moritz/QHmvN1QT/"]Moritz Nicolas[/a] from close range after he was put through by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/asllani-fisnik/IsoKFb9C/"]Fisnik Asllani[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bergisch-gladbach/ITSyINCQ/"]Gladbach[/a] duly responded and went in front through Tomas Brolin, who connected with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mohya-wael/6L9YSg6g/"]Wael Mohya[/a]’s chest-down as the ball trickled in off the post.[/p][p][b]After the news that UCL-chasing rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vfb-stuttgart/nJQmYp1B/"]Stuttgart[/a] had also taken the lead, things went from bad to worse for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hoffenheim/hQAtP9Sl/"]Hoffenheim[/a] when Gladbach doubled their advantage through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tabakovic-haris/Asecu8a3/"]Haris Tabakovic[/a] against his parent club, as the ball fell kindly to him from a deflected cross to slot home his 13th goal this season.[/b][/p][p]Despite what was at stake for Hoffenheim, it was the hosts who looked more likely to add to their tally, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kabak-ozan/nBbGuPN8/"]Ozan Kabak[/a] preventing a certain goal from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/elvedi-nico/fZO9OHIM/"]Nico Elvedi[/a] with a brilliant block, before Tabakovic was denied his brace as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baumann-oliver/MZ6BATVO/"]Oliver Baumann[/a] held onto his point-blank header from a corner.[/p][image alt="Borussia Monchengladbach - Hoffenheim match stats" id="cd5c6b61-411c-4aed-ad5c-adb10f2b44a0" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="29fcd181-bb2b-41db-b3c6-4d7fdb00e831" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b]Things needed to change in the second half for the visitors, but their chances of producing an almighty comeback were further thwarted when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lemperle-tim/OYG8XB8m/"]Tim Lemperle[/a] was shown a second yellow card almost immediately for a silly challenge on Kevin Diks, reducing Hoffenheim to 10 men. [/b][/p][p]More pain was almost inflicted after the hour mark when Tabakovic finished neatly into the bottom corner, but the goal was disallowed for offside.[/p][p][b]There was no denying the third goal from Diks though, who superbly curled into the top corner from the edge of the box after Elvedi’s lay-off.[/b][/p][p][b]Gladbach’s afternoon got better with the return of last season’s top scorer, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kleindienst-tim/4EFLl8xt/"]Tim Kleindienst[/a], from a long-term injury, while the icing on the cake was put on by substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hack-robin/zZ9n9OAn/"]Robin Hack[/a], who calmly slotted past Baumann in a late one-on-one situation. [/b][/p][p]As a result, Gladbach stretched their unbeaten home league run to seven games (W4, D3), ensuring a comfortable mid-table finish. Hoffenheim have to settle for a UEFA Europa League (UEL) spot in the end, but their fifth-placed finish is their best since 2017/18.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diks-kevin/0hwq3S9a/"]Kevin Diks[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/b-monchengladbach/88HSzjDr/"]Borussia Monchengladbach[/a])[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/b-monchengladbach-88HSzjDr/hoffenheim-hQAtP9Sl/?mid=nJu0tKGb"]Check out all the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/p]