Hoffenheim women claimed a shock 2-1 victory over league leaders Wolfsburg at the Dietmar-Hopp-Stadion on Thursday evening, ending the visitors' perfect start to the season. The result leaves Hoffenheim rooted at the bottom of the table with zero points from five games, while Wolfsburg dropped to second place after their first defeat.
Chiara Hahn opened the scoring in the twenty-fifth minute before Smilla Vallotto was sent off for a second yellow card just before half-time, reducing Wolfsburg to ten players. Hoffenheim held firm through a nervous first period, with goalkeeper Lisa Dicker making five saves to deny the visitors despite their dominance in possession.
By then the game had opened up. Anny Kerim-Lindland equalised for Wolfsburg in the sixty-sixth minute, but Hahn restored the home side's lead two minutes later to complete her brace. Svenja Fölmli came off for Hoffenheim in the sixty-sixth minute, and Cora Zicai replaced one of the visitors' attackers as the game tightened.
The statistics tell a familiar story — Wolfsburg controlled 67 per cent of possession and created one big chance, yet Hoffenheim's five shots on target proved more efficient. The hosts managed only two corners to Wolfsburg's twelve, and their single successful cross from eight attempts reflected the nature of this encounter.
Hoffenheim's recent form makes this result all the more remarkable. They had lost their previous four matches against Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne and Stuttgart before that goalless draw with RB Leipzig. To beat the league leaders on their watch feels like a statement.
Wolfsburg extended their unbeaten run in the league to twenty-five matches before this defeat, but the result does not change their position at the summit by much. They remain one point clear, and the gap between first and second could well prove decisive come May.
