Beşiktaş rallies in Sinsheim to sink Hoffenheim in the Europa League

Hoffenheim hit the post right out of the gate, with Koki Machida nearly scoring in the 2nd minute. It turned out to be a mirage: the match finished 2-3 in favor of Beşiktaş at the SNP Arena in the Europa League league phase, and the German club remains without a single point in the competition.

The first half was back and forth without goals, with chances for both sides but no finishing touch: Bernardo, Oh Hyeon-Gyu and Leandro Trossard all had looks before the break, which arrived scoreless. The story changed in the second half, and it changed fast.

Five goals in 28 minutes

Amir Murillo opened the scoring in the 59th minute, tapping in from close range after Oh Hyeon-Gyu squared it to him from a corner. Hoffenheim answered right away: in the 67th minute, Fisnik Asllani leveled with a low strike from the center of the box, set up by substitute Tim Lemperle, who had just come on. It looked like the home side had found its footing, but Beşiktaş had another gear.

In the 71st minute, a counterattack finished off with a through ball from Junior Olaïtan left Oh Hyeon-Gyu with an open look to make it 1-2. Seven minutes later, another transition, this time off a cross from Ilhan Fakili, set up Oh Hyeon-Gyu again for his second goal of the night and the 1-3. Hoffenheim still had time to make the scoreline respectable: Koki Machida, who had clipped the post early on, connected this time with a header off a Vladimír Coufal cross in the 87th minute for the final 2-3.

What the numbers show

Hoffenheim controlled more of the ball, but Beşiktaş was sharper and more incisive near the opposing box.

Our expected goals estimate based on the match's shots backs up that gap: 1.19 for Hoffenheim against 3.61 for Beşiktaş, a reflection of the clear-cut chances generated by the Turkish side, especially on the counterattacks that defined the second half.

Before kickoff, our model gave Hoffenheim a 35% chance of winning, 26% for a draw and 39% for Beşiktaş, with an estimated total of 3.17 goals. The final result, with five goals shared between the sides, was not too far off that forecast of an open match, though the margin ended up wider than expected in favor of the visitors.

What the result means

In the standings, Beşiktaş moves to 6 points from two matches played, winning both, and sits in fourth place. Hoffenheim, on the other hand, has two losses in two outings and remains pointless, with a negative goal difference. The gap between the two clubs in the table stands at 6 points. Oh Hyeon-Gyu, with two goals and an assist in the second half, was the standout performer of the night in Sinsheim, as Beşiktaş came away with a win that leaves Hoffenheim needing to respond in its upcoming matches.