Borussia Dortmund travels to the SNP Arena in Sinsheim on Saturday as they face Hoffenheim in their next Bundesliga encounter.
Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 5th September.
- Kick-off: 2:30pm BST.
- Venue: SNP Arena, Sinsheim.
Hoffenheim team news
TSG Hoffenheim enters the fixture with a relatively healthier roster, though manager Christian Ilzer still has to navigate a few critical absences.
The hosts receive a major boost with the return of forward Tim Lemperle, who is expected to immediately slot back into the starting lineup after serving his suspension.
However, the squad will be without left-sided midfielder Alexander Prass, who has been ruled out due to a muscle injury.
Up front, striker Fisnik Asllani remains sidelined for at least another week following a failed late-window transfer move to RB Leipzig.
Despite these missing pieces, Hoffenheim boasts a more stable and settled core than their opponents, relying on a sturdy defensive shape and the home advantage at the SNP Arena to exploit a heavily rotated Dortmund side.
Borussia Dortmund team news
Borussia Dortmund faces a severe defensive injury crisis heading into this matchup, leaving manager Niko Kovac with a heavily depleted squad.
Emre Can remains completely sidelined with an ACL injury, while fellow centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck has only just returned to light training following a World Cup injury and is not yet ready to feature.
The backline concerns are worsened by left-back Ramy Bensebaini, who faces a late fitness test due to a lingering rib injury.
In midfield and attack, summer signing Giannis Konstantelias is out for months after tearing his ACL on his Bundesliga debut, joining Justin Lerma on the treatment table.
Additionally, teenage Samuele Inacio is suspended following a recent red card. To help cushion these blows, newly signed deadline-day midfielder Ethan Nwaneri has travelled with the squad and could feature.
Form
Hoffenheim
TSG Hoffenheim carries a mixed bag of momentum. They opened their Bundesliga campaign with a frustrating 3-2 defeat against 1. FC Köln, twice surrendering the lead despite goals from Adam Daghim and Ozan Kabak. However, their domestic form prior to that was sharp, picking up a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Erzgebirge Aue in the DFB-Pokal. They remain exceptionally confident on home turf at the SNP Arena, where they previously defeated Dortmund 2-1.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund has enjoyed a highly productive start offensively under Niko Kovac, racking up eight goals across their first three official matches. Their competitive form shows solid domestic resilience, including a crucial 2-0 victory against Hamburger SV in recent league outings. While they suffered a narrow 2-1 German Supercup defeat to rivals Bayern Munich during their season ramp-up, BVB’s primary concern isn’t their recent results, but sustaining their attacking rhythm amidst a sudden defensive crisis.
Predicted lineups
Hoffenheim: Baumann; Coufal, Hajdari, Kabak, Bernardo; Avdullahu, Burger; Wimmer, Conte, Daghim; Lemperle
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Svensson, Gadou, Anton; Ryerson, Nmecha, Bellingham, Beier; Karetsas, Sabitzer; Guirassy
How to watch Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund?
You can watch Hoffenheim vs. Borussia Dortmund live in the UK on Sky Sports, with streaming available via the Sky Go app or a flexible pass on NOW.
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