Hoffenheim remain unbeaten at home

Hoffenheim remain unbeaten at home

Hoffenheim remained undefeated at home this season and ended a two-game losing run with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Nurnberg.

Christian Eichner and Vedad Ibisevic scored within four minutes of each other to give Hoffenheim a two-goal lead after 38 minutes, and then Franco Zuculini made it 3-0 in the 64th minute.

The victory pushed Ralf Rangnick's Hoffenheim into the Europa League spots with 17 points for sixth place.

Nurnberg remain winless on the road this season and after four losses in their last five games have just eight points in 17th place.

Nurnberg were positive in the early stages, venturing forward but failing to create many chances.

They appeared to have earned a penalty after 28 minutes as Josip Simunic felled Albert Bunjaku but the referee kept his whistle quiet.

Hoffenheim surged ahead six minutes later with an amazing goal by Eichner, who unleashed a 30-yard blast from the left of goal which found the top right corner off the underside of the crossbar.

The hosts doubled their advantage when Marvin Compper stole the ball from Marek Mintal and sent a long direct pass to Ibisevic, who played the ball around Andreas Wolf and then beat Nurnberg goalkeeper Raphael Schafer with his finish which found the far right corner.

Hoffenheim ended all doubts in the 64th minute by scoring on the counter-attack. The 19-year-old Argentinian Zuculini was the beneficiary of the clinical Hoffenheim attack, placing his right-footed shot from 18 yards perfectly into the bottom right corner.

The hosts had an opportunity to make it a 4-0 lead just three minutes later but Carlos Eduardo's long distance blast went just wide of goal before Rangnick called off his attackers with the match won.