Hoffenheim have lost ground on their rivals in the battle for European qualification after slipping to a 2-1 defeat to Werder Bremen.

It was Bremen who broke the deadlock inside eight minutes when a run at the Hoffenheim defence from Davie Selke resulted in the ball breaking to Franco Di Santo, who kept his composure to pick out the bottom corner form just inside the box.

A clever piece of footwork from Kevin Volland in the box almost brought the hosts level, but Raphael Wolf reacted impressively to get a strong hand to the forward's effort.

Hoffenheim dominated for long spells, and they were finally rewarded for their pressure with an equaliser when Ermin Bicakcic lost his marker to head home from an Adam Szalai corner.

However, Bremen were back in front early in the second half when Hoffenheim's defence twice missed the chance to clear the danger, which allowed Philipp Bargfrede to fire home via a deflection.

Bicakcic had the chance to hit back a few minutes later, but a wild effort from just inside the box left his teammates frustrated at the end of a patient passing move.

Despite dominating possession after falling behind, Hoffenheim found it difficult to create clear opportunities as they desperately looked for a way back into the match.