Hoffenheim are the surprise leaders

BERLIN: Promoted 1899 Hoffenheim pulled off a 3-0 away win over Energie Cottbus on Saturday to finish their first day as a Bundesliga club on top of the league table. Boasting just one new addition to their line-up since clinching promotion from the second division last season, Ralph Rangnick’s side showed no sign of nerves, seeing off Cottbus with two Vedad Ibesevic goals either side of a Demba Ba strike. Hoffenheim were joined at the top by Schalke 04 who demolished Hanover 96 by the same scoreline, with the Gelsenkirchen team’s goals all coming from set pieces. Following the 2-2 draw between champions Bayern Munich and Hamburg SV on Friday, last year’s runners-up Werder Bremen also had to settle for a single point after being held 2-2 away against Bielefeld. Borussia Dortmund ran out narrow winners in the day’s highest... [read full story]