Hertha’s Ibisevic haunts Hoffenheim on Bundesliga return

Hertha Berlin's Bosnia forward Vedad Ibisevic scored against his former side Hoffenheim as they claimed a 3-0 win with second-half goals at an empty Rhein-Neckar-Arena on Saturday, providing a significant boost to their Bundesliga survival hopes.

Brazilian Matheus Cunha was also on target, and Hoffenheim's Kevin Akpoguma netted a calamitous own goal, a sign of the rustiness on display from the home side in their first game in over two months as league action resumed in Germany following a pause to the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The victory moves Hertha up to 11th in the Bundesliga table after 26 matches, eight points clear of the drop-zone and within two places of free-falling Hoffenheim, who are now without a win in seven games.

The empty stands gave the match a pre-season feel, and at times the quality was poor with misplaced passes and the lack of a clinical touch in front of goal, until Hertha sprung to life in the second period.