SGS Essen Women moved further clear at the top of the 2. Bundesliga table on Saturday, beating Hoffenheim II 4-1 in Regular Season round 3. The match took place on 23 August 2026 at the Hoffenheim ground, and the visitors made their statement early. The result leaves Hoffenheim without a single point after four games, while Essen sit three points clear with a game in hand.
By then the contrast between the two sides was stark. Hoffenheim occupy 11th place after four defeats from four, while SGS Essen sit third after three consecutive wins. The away side have not conceded in their last two outings, and this performance added to that pattern.
The hosts have struggled to find their feet in this campaign. Their recent record shows only one victory since May 2024, a 4-1 win over Ingolstadt, and since then they have lost seven of eight matches across both seasons. Against Essen they offered little resistance after the opening exchanges.
SGS Essen, meanwhile, have looked sharp in their opening fixtures. They beat Carl Zeiss Jena 2-1 on 8 August and saw off Eintracht Frankfurt II 3-1 three days earlier. The draw with Freiburg in May 2026 was their only blemish, but they have since kept three clean sheets on the spin.
What this means in practice is that Essen now hold a nine-point cushion over the teams below them, and the gap could widen if their recent form continues. Hoffenheim's position remains precarious, and they will need to turn things around quickly if they are to avoid the lower reaches of the table.
The match itself followed the pattern of so many games between established and developing sides. Essen had the deeper squad and the momentum, and they took advantage when chances appeared. For Hoffenheim, the task now is to find something to play for beyond survival.