Augsburg have closed in on a top-four spot in the Bundesliga this evening courtesy of a 3-1 victory against Hoffenheim at the SGL Arena.
Markus Weinzierl's charges picked up from where they left off before the winter break by claiming their sixth victory in eight league outings to move level on points with Schalke 04 in fourth place.
The first chance of the contest fell the way of the home side, although Alexander Esswein was unable to get the better of Oliver Baumann when played through on goal, while Daniel Baier's follow-up attempt was also well kept out.
A frantic six-minute spell before the interval saw three goals scored as the game swung both ways, with Halil Altintop heading home Pierre Hojbjerg's cross from the right, before Tobias Werner coolly converted the second from a well-delivered cross into the box.
Hoffenheim were given some hope when Roberto Firmino found a way past Alex Manninger between the Augsburg sticks to make it 2-1 right on the stroke of half time, but it was the home side who edged the better of the remaining chances.
Dong-Won Ji and Ragnar Klavan both wasted chances to extend the lead further, and it almost cost Augsburg when David Abraham ran through to only be denied by Manninger late on.
The points were to be Augsburg's, though, with Raul Bobadilla slaloming through a few bodies in the snowy conditions to wrap things up with goal number three.
While Augsburg close in on a spot in the Champions League qualification zone, Hoffenheim now find themselves three points adrift of the Europa League places.
Daniel Lewis
