TSG Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund

TSG Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund are set to square off in a tasty-looking Bundesliga showdown at PreZero Arena.

Since a 2-1 home defeat to Freiburg on the opening Bundesliga weekend, Hoffenheim’s domestic form has taken an upward trajectory. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men have racked up four consecutive league wins in the build-up to this fixture, staging a huge upset only last weekend. They pulled off an impressive 2-0 win at Union Berlin, the only Bundesliga side to have gone unbeaten in all home league games last season, putting a third straight two-goal margin victory on the board. However, this could be a step too far for ‘Die Kraichgauer,’ considering their only two previous four-game winning streaks ended with a draw in the fifth game. That’s not to mention Matarazzo’s woeful managerial record against Dortmund (W1, L4) and Hoffenheim’s recent struggle in this fixture (W1, D1, L3).

On the other hand, visiting Borussia Dortmund recovered from a dismal 2-0 defeat at PSG in their opening Champions League outing with a nervy 1-0 home win over Wolfsburg last weekend, maintaining a five-game unbeaten Bundesliga start (W3, D2). Despite winning twice in their three home league matches in 2023/24 (D1), Dortmund’s triumphs at Signal Iduna Park have lacked conviction, as each yielded single-goal margins. The winning goal in both clashes came beyond the 65th minute, highlighting the potential for a late drama. Adding to this sentiment, ‘Die Borussen’ netted three unanswered second-half goals to overturn a 2-1 halftime deficit in an enthralling 4-2 win at Freiburg on their last Bundesliga travel. Another successful weekend could be on the cards, with Dortmund winning three straight top-flight visits to Hoffenheim since a 2-1 loss in December 2019.