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Hoffenheim and Lyon trade late goals to share spoils in four-goal thriller

Amos Murphy
Anton Stach, left, and Lyon's Nigerian forward Gift Orban vie for the ball
Anton Stach, left, and Lyon's Nigerian forward Gift Orban vie for the ball Daniel Roland / AFP
Late drama saw Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Hoffenheim side snatch a dramatic point as they drew 2-2 thanks to Umut Tohumcu’s 96th-minute equaliser, denying Lyon a third victory in four UEFA Europa (UEL) games.

Despite contrasting performances in the first half, neither side were able to find a breakthrough. It was the hosts who were the most frustrated though, having registered 10 shots on target throughout a dominant opening 45 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, Andrej Kramaric was at the heart of all things positive for Hoffenheim, with the striker seeing a close-range strike blocked, before forcing a save from Lyon goalkeeper Remy Descamps on the brink of half-time.

The pressure would eventually pay off early in the second period, as Hoffenheim needed just three minutes after the restart to find the opener.

Tom Bischof had the presence of mind to pick out Valentin Gendrey with a cutback inside the box, with the attacker sweeping home a classy left-footed finish underneath Descamps.

Hoffenheim - Lyon match stats
Hoffenheim - Lyon match statsOpta by StatsPerform

However, just as they’d begun thinking about a second win of the UEL campaign, Hoffenheim suffered a backline breach of their own. Abner Vinícius was first to react to a bouncing ball in the box, leathering it into the back of the net from 12 yards out to restore parity.

It wouldn’t be until added time when the match truly burst into life, with Lyon looking as if they’d snatched a dramatic winner in the 93rd minute when a swivelling strike on the half-volley from Alexandre Lacazette rocketed into the roof of the net.

But, no sooner had the celebrations died down, than a similarly stunning Tohumcu effort from the edge of the box ensured the points would indeed be shared.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Tom Bischof (Hoffenheim)

Check out the match stats with Flashscore.