Borussia Dortmund will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the league when they hit the road to face TSG Hoffenheim.
Having started their league campaign with a defeat, TSG Hoffenheim will be eager to secure their first point when they host giants Borussia Dortmund on Saturday afternoon.
Hoffenheim finished fifth last time out and missed out on Champions League football by the smallest of margins. They will be hoping to break into the top four this time around.
While they did start the new season with an impressive 4-0 win over FC Erzgebirge Aue in the DFB Pokal, their league campaign kicked off with a defeat at the hands of FC Koln. The home team had the upper hand for the majority of the game, but Koln stole the show in the final 20 minutes.
Hoffenheim will be hoping they can get their season on track with a dominant display against Dortmund at home. Meanwhile, the visitors finished second in the league last season, 16 points behind the champions, Bayern Munich.
They will be hoping to close that gap this time around. They started the new season with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bayern in the Supercup, but secured a 2-0 win over Hamburg in their first league outing and are heading into this fixture on the back of a 5-0 win over HEBC in the DFB Pokal.
Dortmund will be confident about securing all three points against Hoffenheim away from home. 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
The home team will be without the services of Fisnik Asllani (knee) and Alexander Prass (muscle) due to injury. Apart from the duo, everyone else should be available for selection.
Hoffenheim are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Oliver Baumann starting between the sticks. Vladimir Coufal and Bernardo should feature as the full-backs, while Ozan Kabak is likely to line up alongside Albian Hajdari in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Adam Daghim and Patrick Wimmer should occupy the wide areas, providing width to their attacks and support to the full-backs. Wouter Burger and Leon Avdullahu are expected to form the central midfield pairing, with the duo tasked with controlling possession, which certainly won’t be easy against Dortmund.
Up front, Adam Hlozek is likely to form the strike partnership alongside Tim Lemperle in the final third. The two forwards will look to combine effectively and make the most of the chances that come their way.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Baumann; Coufal, Kabak, Hajdari, Bernardo; Wimmer, Avdullahu, Burger, Daghim; Lemperle, Hlozek
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund will be without several players, with Emre Can (cruciate ligament), Nico Schlotterbeck (ankle), Giannis Konstantelias (cruciate ligament) and Justin Lerma (muscle) all out injured. Meanwhile, Samuele Inacio is suspended, while Ramy Bensebaini is a doubt because of a rib injury.
The visitors are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Gregor Kobel starting between the sticks. Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton, and Ramy Bensebaini should form the back three, with the trio tasked with keeping the opposition attackers at bay.
Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson are expected to operate as the wing-backs. They will support the centre-backs and look to join the attack at every possible chance. Meanwhile, Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha should form the central midfield pairing, with the duo looking to control possession and dictate the tempo of the game.
Further forward, Konstantinos Karetsas and Maximilian Beier are likely to operate behind Serhou Guirassy. The two attacking midfielders will look to provide support to the striker and create opportunities.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Gadou, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Svensson; Karetsas, Beier; Guirassy
Key Stats
- In the last 13 meetings between the two teams, Hoffenheim have only won two matches.
- These two sides have never played out a goalless draw in their 34 previous meetings.
- Hoffenheim have found the back of the net 13 times across their last five matches; Dortmund have also bagged the same number of goals.
- Konstantinos Karetsas was involved in nine shots against Hamburg, setting a new club record for a player on his Bundesliga debut.
- Hoffenheim ended a run of five consecutive home defeats against Dortmund with a 2-1 victory in April.
Player to Watch
Jobe Bellingham
Bellingham joined Borussia Dortmund last summer. While it took time for him to adjust to his new surroundings, he eventually got the hang of things, and by the time the season ended, he established himself as an integral part of their first team.
The 20-year-old versatile midfielder finished with four assists in his 45 outings. He will be hoping to build on it this time around. He might not have contributed towards a goal in their opening two games, but the youngster has been one of their standout performer and he could very well make the difference against Hoffenheim.
Prediction
TSG Hoffenheim 0-2 Borussia Dortmund
Hoffenheim will be hoping that home advantage can help them bounce back from their disappointing opening-day defeat. They have enough quality to cause problems, but Dortmund’s superior squad and recent attacking form should give the visitors the upper hand.
Dortmund have already shown their ability to bounce back from setbacks this season and should have enough quality to secure another league victory. Hoffenheim could make things difficult, but the visitors are expected to come away with all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the away team.
