SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach vs Hoffenheim II

The match, played at the Sportgelände VfR Gommersdorf, pitted two sides preparing for the upcoming 3. Liga campaign against each other. SG Sonnenhof Großaspach — who achieved back-to-back promotions from the Oberliga to the 3. Liga via the Regionalliga Südwest title last season — faced a Hoffenheim II side that had entered the fixture with two pre-season wins under their belt: 2-0 against VfR Mannheim and 6-1 against SGV Freiberg.

SG took the lead in the 12th minute (recorded as 10' in the official data) through Marlon Faß (listed as M. F. Fass in the provider data), a player well known to the Hoffenheim academy having been part of the TSG U19 side that won the double in 2024. His shot found the bottom-left corner to give the Dorfklub the advantage.

Hoffenheim II's best chance of the first half fell to Yasin Zor in the 33rd minute, but SG goalkeeper Tim Schulz was equal to the effort. SG immediately turned defence into attack on the counter, and Lukas Stoppel was on hand to tap home from close range — 2-0 in the 35th minute, and the contest was effectively decided before the interval.

The second half saw Hoffenheim II show more attacking intent, but the final pass remained elusive. The clearest opportunity fell to Blessing Makanda in the 90th minute, but his shot drifted just wide of the right post.

The 120-second sequence between the 33rd and 35th minutes decided the match. Zor's saved chance — Hoffenheim's best of the half — was immediately punished by Großaspach's counter-attack, with Stoppel's finish doubling the lead. A 2-0 deficit at half-time in a pre-season friendly forced Hoffenheim II to chase the game in the second half, and they never recovered the momentum.

Marlon Faß (SG Sonnenhof Großaspach): The former Hoffenheim youth product opened the scoring against his old club with a composed finish into the bottom-left corner. His familiarity with the Hoffenheim setup from his U19 double-winning days was evident.

Lukas Stoppel (SG Sonnenhof Großaspach): Showed sharp instincts to capitalise on the rebound opportunity on the counter, effectively killing the contest before half-time.

Tim Schulz (SG Sonnenhof Großaspach): Made the crucial save from Zor at 1-0, which directly triggered the counter-attack that produced the second goal.

Yasin Zor (Hoffenheim II): Had Hoffenheim's best chance of the match — a well-struck effort that needed a good save — but couldn't convert when it mattered most.

Both goals arrived in the first 35 minutes, with the second half finishing goalless. The provider data records two goals from the home side and a clean sheet for SG, reflecting a match that was clinically decided in one 25-minute spell. Hoffenheim II's failure to convert possession into clear chances — particularly after the break when they pushed forward — illustrates a pre-season side still building sharpness in the final third. The 2-0 scoreline at half-time and 0-0 second half tells the story of a game that was settled early.

SG Sonnenhof Großaspach continued their unbeaten pre-season run — this was their fifth test match of the 2026/27 campaign — and will take confidence from a clean sheet against a fellow 3. Liga side. Hoffenheim II suffered their first defeat of pre-season after two wins.

Hoffenheim II coach Stefan Kleineheismann drew parallels to last year's pre-season schedule: "The game reminds me a bit of our test last year in pre-season against the Stuttgarter Kickers," he said after the match, as reported on the TSG Hoffenheim official website. "We're taking important insights from the game."

The U23 side headed into a week-long training camp in the Black Forest starting Sunday, building towards their 3. Liga season opener against Hansa Rostock.

A classic pre-season outcome: the sharper, more experienced side took its chances early and controlled the game from there. Großaspach's counter-attacking efficiency and Hoffenheim II's lack of cutting edge in the final third were the defining differences. Neither team will read too much into the scoreline, but Kleineheismann's side will need to sharpen their finishing before competitive action begins.