TSG Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund

PreZero Arena forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Bundesliga showdown between surprise relegation candidates TSG Hoffenheim and title hopefuls Borussia Dortmund.

Pellegrino Matarazzo has got his managerial tenure at Hoffenheim off to a woeful start, losing his first two Bundesliga games in charge by an aggregate score of 4-1, including a 3-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen on his home debut. ‘Die Kraichgauer’ come into proceedings amid the second-worst winless run in the club’s Bundesliga history, having gone 11 straight league games without winning (D2, L9) since a 3-0 demolition of Schalke in mid-October. Yet that win came on hostile turf, while you’d need to go back to early September for Hoffenheim’s last Bundesliga win at home, with Matarazzo’s side since losing six of their eight league outings at PreZero Arena (D2), strengthening their fears of suffering five consecutive top-flight games for the first time since a run of six in 2012.

On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund’s relentless form since the restart continued with a 4-1 home thumping of bottom-half Hertha Berlin last weekend, maintaining their 100% win ratio across eight competitive matches in 2023. Having won all six Bundesliga fixtures this calendar year, ‘Die Borussen’ start this round level on points with perennial champions Bayern Munich, suggesting a first league title since 2011/12 could be on the cards. The continuation of Dortmund’s stunning form this calendar year looks inevitable, as Edin Terzic’s men have won back-to-back league visits to Hoffenheim by an aggregate score of 4-2. And with Hoffenheim failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 Bundesliga contests, Dortmund’s free-scoring attack that has netted a league-high 19 goals in 2023 could have a field day.