Hoffenheim winger Jiloan Hamad opened the scoring Saturday home to Bayer Leverkusen with a sublime 40th-minute side-footed volley off a corner kick that eluded a lunging Bernd Leno.
Sitting bottom of the Bundesliga table upon the German top flight's return from winter hiatus, a victory would see Die Kraichgauer vault Hannover, Werder Bremen, and Stuttgart into safety, depending on Saturday's other results.