Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen Preview: Team News & Prediction
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This one has the potential to be a real high scoring thriller as 1899 Hoffenheim take on Bayern Leverkusen in Baden-Wurttemberg on Saturday afternoon.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – ESPN+
Hoffenheim preview: Improved Hoffenheim
Coached by former Stermgratz boss Christian Ilzer Hoffenheim have recovered from a tough campaign last season to become one of the stronger and more entertaining Bundesliga outfits.
A good example of that came in mid-week as they raced into a 4-0 lead by half-time against Borussia Monchengladbach, eventually going on to win by five goals to one, leaving them just outside of the top four.
Bayer Leverkusen preview: Frustrated Leverkusen
The start of this season was a tumultuous one for Bayern Leverkusen with Erik ten Hag sacked by the end of the first month and replaced by former Denmark boss Kaspet Hjulmand, who is majorly improving them.
The visitors head to Hoffenheim on the back of a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Stuttgart, though. It was a game that exposed the intense and often fun-for-the-neutral, risky approach of Hjulmand.
Hoffenheim team news: Couple of injuries
Ahead of the visit of Leverkusen this weekend, Hoffenheim are dealing with a couple of injuries as defender Koki Machida and Czechia international striker Adam Hlozek are unavailable.
Predicted XI (4-1-2-1-2): Baumann; Coufal, Hranac, Kabak, Bernardo; Avdullahu; Burger, Prass; Kramaric; Lemperle, Asllani
Unavailable: Machida (Injured), Hlozek (Injured)
Questionable:
Bayer Leverkusen team news: Still no Ben Seghir
Burkina Faso international centre-back Edmund Tapsoba has retuned from the CAF Africa Cup of Nations with a knee injury, while Eliesse Ben Seghir remains at the tournament for the final with Morocco.
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Flekken; Quansah, Andrich, Belocian; Arthur, Aleix Garcia, Ezequiel Fernandez, Alex Grimaldo; Tillman, Tella; Terrier
Unavailable: Tapsoba (Injured), Ben Seghir (International duty)
Questionable: Tape (Injured), Palacios (Injured), Kofane (Injured), Schick (Injured)
Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction
It is a fairly reasonable assumption that this will be quite a fun watch on Saturday afternoon. Both teams are among the more proactive in the Bundesliga and both teams will sense an opportunity to get at the other, and perhaps dent their top four objectives. Both teams scoring seems almost inevitable.
Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen tip: Both teams to score
