Zimbabwe international Knowledge Musona made his fifth substitute appearance in TSG 1899 Hoffenheim colours in the team’s 1-0 victory over Borussia Möenchengladbach in a league match at Wirsol Rhein Necka Arena on Saturday.
Musona came on in the 68th minute for Fabian Johnson, after Ibisevic Vedad had found the target for Hoffenheim in the 56th minute to record the victory.
The win saw Musona’s side moving three places up the ladder to position six with 16 points, six adrift of leaders Bayern Munich.
Borussia Möenchengladbach slumped to fifth position from second position following Saturday’s loss and are a point ahead of Hoffenheim.
The Zimbabwean joined Hoffenheim in July from South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs, but only got his first taste of German football in September after getting injured at a training session.
Meanwhile Soccernet reports that Hoffenheim’s first Bundesliga goal in more than a month saw them claim the three points against stuttering Borussia Möenchengladbach on Saturday.
Vedad Ibisevic struck the match winner — his first goal in more than half a year — in the 56th minute to end Hoffenheim’s barren run in front of net, which had seen them go goalless since beating Wolfsburg on September 17.
The victory lifted Hoffenheim onto 16 points while ’Gladbach, who had started the weekend in second spot, remained on 17 points after their third game without a win.
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Hoffenheim had much of the play early on with Roberto Firmino’s long blast sailing just wide in the 17th minute before Ibisevic, restored to the starting line-up for the match, headed a chance straight into the arms of ’Gladbach keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen from seven yards out.
Firmino fed a fine through-ball to Ibisevic in the 34th minute but the Bosnia and Herzegovina international, who this week reiterated his commitment to the club after being the target of Blackburn Rovers in the summer, was denied by Ter Stegen again.
’Gladbach were close to taking the lead a minute after the re-start, but the Hoffenheim keeper Daniel Haas did a superb job stopping Patrick Herrmann’s shot from seven yards out.
Hoffenheim finally went ahead in the 56th minute when Ibisevic raced onto a loose ball and poked in his first goal since April 9 in his second game of the season after injury.
The hosts then focused on keeping hold of their advantage and did not allow much for the ’Gladbach forwards to enjoy.
’Gladbach coach Lucien Favre tried to turn things round with two changes in the 76th minute, Joshua King and Thorben Marx coming in for Herrmann and Roman Neustadter. But the Hoffenheim defence remained solid and compact, keeping ’Gladbach out of the area and playmaker Marco Reus under wraps.
