Second-placed RB Leipzig will be looking to return to winning ways when they resume their Bundesliga campaign with an away fixture against TSG Hoffenheim.
TSG Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig find themselves on the opposite ends of the points table. While the home team will look to ensure they stay away from the relegation zone, the visitors will be looking to maintain the pressure on league leaders Bayern Munich with a win in this fixture.
Hoffenheim have been struggling to win games this season. They only have two wins so far out of their 10 outings and are 15th on the points table with just nine points. The hosts have been winless in their last three outings, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 0-0 draw against FC Augsburg.
The home side will have to put up a much better fight to come out with something from this game. Christian Ilzer, who took charge during the international break, will be looking to leave a mark with a positive result in his first game in charge.
The visitors were off to a flying start to the new season with six wins and two draws in their first eight fixtures. However, they suffered their first league defeat of the season against Borussia Dortmund at the start of November and things have gone downhill since.
RB Leipzig lost to Celtic in the UEFA Champions League, and they played out a 0-0 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach in their last outing. Marco Rose’s men are already five points behind Bayern and can’t afford to drop any more points. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
TSG Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim won’t be able to call up Christopher Lenz, Stanley N’Soki, Ozan Kabak, and Ihlas Bebou for this fixture. Meanwhile, the availability of Grischa Promel and Finn Becker is also unlikely.
The home team will line up in a 4-3-1-2 formation, where Oliver Baumann will be in goal. The back four will consist of Pavel Kaderabek, Arthur Chaves, Kevin Akpoguma, and David Jurasek. Chaves and Akpoguma will be in central defenders with the other two on the flanks.
Anton Stach, Florian Grillitsch, and Tom Bischof will be the midfield three. They will look to ensure RB Leipzig midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. Andrej Kramaric could take up the number ten role while Mergim Berisha and Marius Bulter will be the two forwards.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Baumann; Kaderabek, Chaves, Akpoguma, Jurasek; Stach, Grillitsch, Bischof; Kramaric; Berisha, Bulter
RB Leipzig
The visitors will be without the services of David Raum, Xaver Schlager, Eljif Elmas, Yussuf Poulsen, and El Chadaille Bitshiabu. Marco Rose has a lot to think about heading into this fixture, but he still has a lot of quality in his squad which can surely help him out.
RB Leipzig will go ahead with the 4-4-2 formation, where Peter Gulacsi will be in goal. The back four will be made up of Lutsharel Geertruida, Willi Orban, Lukas Klostermann, and Benjamin Henrichs. Geertruida and Henrichs will be on the flanks, while Orban and Klostermann will take charge in the heart of the defence.
Amadou Haidara and Arthur Vermeeren will be the two central midfielders. They will form the double pivot, which will protect the backline and allow their attack-minded players to cause the damage. Christoph Baumgartner will take charge on the right flank, while Antonio Nusa will start on the left. Benjamin Sesko should partner Lois Openda in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Geertruida, Klostermann, Orban, Henrichs; Baumgartner, Haidara, Vermeeren, Nusa; Openda, Sesko
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig are winless in their last three games across competitions.
- TSG Hoffenheim have only won one out of their last six games.
- While the away team are second on the points table, they do not have the best of attacks as they are joint eighth-best with just 15 goals.
- But, the positive for Marco Rose’s team is that they have only conceded five goals so far.
- RB Leipzig have an impressive away record of late, losing just one of their last 11 games on the road.
Player to Watch
Benjamin Sesko
The 21-year-old striker has enjoyed an impressive start to the new campaign. Sesko has scored seven goals, and he has also bagged three assists in his 15 outings. While the Slovenian striker’s overall numbers are great, he only has three goals in ten Bundesliga outings and will be eager to add to his tally against Hoffenheim.
Prediction
TSG Hoffenheim 0-3 RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig were winless in their last three games prior to the international break. They lost two of those fixtures, and the visitors will look to go all out for a win in this fixture. Hoffenheim have been struggling to get positive results and their search for their third league win is unlikely to come to an end against one of the best teams in Germany this season. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-0 win for the away team.
