As an enforcer, Hoffenheim star Andrej Kramaric has a bit of a bug in him, but the Croatian is now shining as a threader.
With 20 goals, Andrej Kramaric set a new personal best last season. But the Croatian has lost a little of his characteristic coolness in front of goal and the naturalness with which he sank the balls with force or finesse. He still has plenty of chances, but somehow the goal seems inexplicably locked for him.
Against Cologne, Kramaric also had a hundred percent chance and after a bad pass by Cologne’s Czichos, he basically did everything right in front of Timo Horn, but still failed with his volley against the outstanding Cologne goalkeeper (8th). Later, he hit the crossbar with a free-kick (82nd), but Kramaric was denied a goal even in the 5:0 victory on Friday evening.
And yet the 30-year-old was the best man on the pitch. When his own finishing is lacking, he makes sure that others shine as goal scorers. “I don’t mind him doing both,” said coach Sebastian Hoeneß, adding something he usually refrains from doing: “I’d like to give Andrej a special mention today. He scored two goals again, I saw him work extremely hard, he often helped out at the back and defended, he started at the front, he has a goal threat anyway, a super performance.
Record setter: Kramaric replaces Volland
With six assists after just eight matchdays, Kramaric has established himself at the top of the league’s best set-pieces and at the same time replaced Kevin Volland as the record set-piece man in TSG history (40 to 38). And he shines as an artist there, too. His outstanding pass into the deep to the starting Ihlas Bebou, who only had to round Horn and push the ball into the net for 1:0 (31st). A textbook cross with his (somewhat) weaker left foot on the head of Stefan Posch, who nodded in for 5:0 and his very first Bundesliga goal (88th). His penultimate, precisely timed pass to the trailing David Raum was ingenious, and Christoph Baumgartner only had to sink the cross (51.) Kramaric also had a hand in the creation of the 2:0. He also created a chance for Kevin Akpoguma, who aimed too high (71).
In addition, the Croatian was again conspicuous with his technical masterpieces, a chipped pass here, a no-look pass there. Even without a goal, Kramaric was the linchpin of Hoffenheim’s offensive. In this form, it is only a matter of time before he scores again and scores his second goal of the season. And his third and his fourth …
