Hoffenheim hold Leverkusen in Bundesliga
Sassuolo win 1-0 at Benevento in Serie A
SINSHEIM, Germany, April 13, (AP): Hoffenheim held Bayer Leverkusen to a 0-0 draw as the Bundesliga’s experiment in playing came to an end.
There were few scoring chances for either team and Hoffenheim didn’t record a single shot on target. Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby shot over the bar from a tight angle in the 57th minute and his teammate Nadiem Amiri had a shot saved seven minutes later.
Leverkusen stayed sixth, nine points off the Champions League places. Hoffenheim remained 12th. Both teams have had a disappointing start to 2021.
Leverkusen led the league briefly in December but imploded with three wins from 13 league games from January through March. The club fired coach Peter Bosz last month and hired interim replacement Hannes Wolf, who has four points from his first two games. Hoffenheim aspired to fighting for European places but failed to fulfil the early promise of a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich in September.
SOCCER
It was the last scheduled Monday game in the Bundesliga after four seasons and persistent protests from organized fan groups. No Monday games are planned under the new TV deal starting 2021-22.
Monday games made it easier for TV viewers to see more of the Bundesliga schedule, with fewer simultaneous games on Saturdays, and German soccer officials said it meant more rest for teams playing Europa League games on preceding Thursdays. Fan groups argued it was more difficult to travel to Monday games than traditional weekend fixtures and accused officials of prioritizing TV revenue over supporters in the stands.
Eintracht Frankfurt fans disrupted a Monday game in 2018 by throwing tennis balls and toilet paper from the stands. Thousands of Borussia Dortmund fans boycotted another game.
❑ ❑ ❑
Sassuolo solidified its status in the top half of the Serie A standings with a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Benevento.
Benevento defender Federico Barba deflected the ball into his own net just before the break as he was attempting to prevent a cross from Jeremie Boga from reaching Giacomo Raspadori.
Boga then hit the crossbar midway through the second half.
Sassuolo moved up to eighth, two points ahead of Hellas Verona. Benevento remained 16th, eight points above the drop zone. Filippo Inzaghi’s squad has not won at home since December.