TSG Hoffenheim will host Tottenham Hotspur for a UEFA Europa League tie at the PreZero Arena on Thursday, with both teams eager for a win.
TSG Hoffenheim picked up a 3-1 win in their last outing vs Holstein Kiel, after failing to win four matches in a row prior to that, and they will be eager to get the better of Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are in similar form, and they have failed to win four of the last six matches in all competitions. Both clubs are in disappointing form, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly.
The two sides will look to secure their place in the next round of the competition, and they need to start picking up wins. Tottenham are ninth in the standings in the UEFA Europa League with three wins from six matches, but the German outfit have been very disappointing.
Hoffenheim have picked up just one win from six Europa League matches, and they need to grind out a victory here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the upcoming meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
TSG Hoffenheim
The hosts will be without Anton Stach due to a thigh injury, Florian Grillitsch due to an ankle injury, Erencan Yardimci with a knock, Umut Tohumcu due to an ankle injury, Ozan Kabak due to ligament damage, Marius Bulter with a hamstring injury, Diadie Samassekou with a hip injury, Ihlas Bebou with a knee injury, Christopher Lenz with a calf injury and Grischa Promel misses out with ligament damage.
Hoffenheim will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Tottenham, with Oliver Baumann in goal. Valentin Gendrey and Alexander Prass will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and hit Tottenham on the break. Arthur Chaves and Kevin Akpoguma will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, the Bayern Munich-bound Tom Bischof and Dennis Geiger will start in the middle of the park, and they will look to protect the defensive unit. Adam Hlozek and Max Moerstedt will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add creativity and goals to the side from the flanks.
Andrej Kramaric will start in the attacking midfield role and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Mergim Berisha will lead the line for TSG Hoffenheim vs Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Baumann; Gendrey, Arthur Chaves, Akpoguma, Prass; Geiger, Bischof; Moerstedt, Kramaric, Hlozek; Berisha
Tottenham Hotspur
Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, and Wilson Odobert are sidelined with hamstring injuries. Guglielmo Vicario is unavailable after his ankle surgery, Dominic Solanke has a knee injury, Yves Bissouma misses out with a knock, Rodrigo Bentancur has a head injury, and Brennan Johnson has a calf injury. Antonin Kinsky, Djed Spence, and Sergio Reguilon are all ineligible.
Tottenham Hotspur are set to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs TSG Hoffenheim, with Brandon Austin in goal. Pedro Porro and Ben Davies will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Archie Gray will start alongside Radu Dragusin at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Pape Matar Sarr will start in the double pivot alongside Lucas Bergvall. They will look to protect the team defensively and help put together attacking moves. Dejan Kulusevski will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.
James Maddison and Richarlison will start in the wide areas, and they will add creativity, flair and goals to the side. Finally, Son Heung-min will lead the line for Tottenham vs TSG Hoffenheim on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Austin; Porro, Gray, Dragusin, Davies; Sarr, Bergvall; Maddison, Kulusevski, Richarlison; Son
Key Stats
- Tottenham are winless in four of their last six matches in all competitions.
- TSG Hoffenheim are winless in four of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Tottenham have conceded nine goals in their last six outings.
- TSG Hoffenheim have conceded ten goals in their last five outings.
- TSG Hoffenheim scored in each of their first 18 UEFA Europa League matches between 2017 and 2020 but they’ve since failed to score in five of their last 10, including each of their last two.
Player to Watch
Dejan Kulusevski
The 24-year-old Tottenham attacking midfielder is our key player to watch out for. The Swedish international has been the best player at the club this season, and Tottenham will need him to step up and deliver here.
Kulusevski will look to help create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and add to his goalscoring tally for the season. He has picked up five goals and an assist in his last ten appearances for the North London club. The Swede will look to guide his side to a vital win away from home.
Prediction
TSG Hoffenheim 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Both teams will be desperate for a win here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side are particularly good defensively, and they will look to outscore each other. An open game is expected with a fair few chances.
Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but Tottenham have greater quality in the final third, and they should be able to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Ange Postecoglou and his charges.
