Asllani scores after a long wait as Hoffenheim climb to third place

Fisnik Asllani had gone a long time without scoring in Germany’s top flight. But he has consistently been praised for his performances on the pitch. And the Kosovo striker, who plays for Hoffenheim, delivered another positive performance on Saturday in their 22nd-round match against Freiburg. 

He scored one of the goals in the 3:0 victory. Shortly after the second half began, Asllani rose highest in the box to meet Vladimir Coufal’s cross. He managed to score to make it 1:0, and his joy was immense. It was Asllani’s seventh goal in the Bundesliga this season and his first since December 13. Since then, the 23-year-old had also recorded two assists. Asllani and Hoffenheim are marching confidently toward one of the places that would send them to next season’s Champions League. 

Besides Asllani, two other Kosovo players also featured for Hoffenheim. Asllani was substituted in the 74th minute, while Albian Hajdari in defense and Leon Avdullahu in central midfield completed the match. 

Hoffenheim strengthened their hold on third place with 45 points, while Freiburg remain in eighth place with 30 points. Bayern Munich lead the standings with 57 points.

Asllani’s good form comes shortly before Kosovo’s most important match. On March 26, Kosovo face Slovakia in Bratislava in the World Cup 2026 playoff semifinal, with the tournament set to be held this summer in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Asllani scored very important goals that secured Kosovo’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup playoffs. He scored in the victories over Sweden and Slovenia. Alongside Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi, he is expected to lead the attack for the important match at the end of March. If they win, Kosovo will play the playoff final on March 31 against the winner of the Turkey–Romania match.