Sidney Sam sealed a 2-0 win for Bayer Leverkusen to ensure Hoffenheim's miserable Bundesliga run continued on Friday.
Sam scored in the 79th minute with a neat chip over goalkeeper Tom Starke after Stefan Kiessling headed on a long ball forward from Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno.
Eren Derdiyok opened the scoring in the 11th, when he followed up Andre Schuerrle's free kick to head in the rebound from Starke's save.
''We're getting to the stage where we're winning the games in which we perhaps didn't play so well,'' Leverkusen coach Robin Dutt said.
Sam wasted a great chance in the 32nd, shooting on goal instead of passing to one of three teammates facing only two Hoffenheim defenders.
''It was 50-50. You pass or score. I decided to try and score and unfortunately it didn't work out,'' Sam said.
Hoffenheim should have scored immediately afterward on a counterattack, but Ryan Babel fired over from close range after Peniel Mlapa whipped in a cross.
It remained Hoffenheim's best chance, and only Starke prevented Schuerrle and Lars Bender from putting Leverkusen further ahead.
''We put in so much effort to create chances,'' said Hoffenheim coach Holger Stanislawski. ''We cannot score as many goals as we're conceding.''
It was the fifth Bundesliga game in a row without a win for Hoffenheim, which has never beaten Leverkusen.
Leverkusen remains sixth, while Hoffenheim drops to 10th ahead of the weekend's games.
