Hoffenheim vs Lyon Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Europa League | League Phase

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Hoffenheim are badly struggling down towards the bottom end of the Bundesliga table and they haven’t started too well in the UEFA Europa League as they now prepare to take on an inconsistent and unpredictable Olympique Lyonnais side in Baden-Wurttemberg. 

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Thursday 7th November, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+

HOFFENHEIM PREVIEW: UNSURE HOFFENHEIM

Managed by American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, Hoffenheim have struggled at the start of this season as they begin this weekend’s round of fixtures sitting firmly tucked inside the bottom three and the relegation playoff place with just four points collected from their opening three UEFA Europa League matches.

The home team come into this one on the back of a 2-0 defeat at home to newly-promoted strugglers St Pauli in their most recent outing, at the weekend. In the UEFA Europa League, Hoffenheim were held to a 1-1 draw by Midtjylland before a 2-0 defeat of Dynamo Kyiv and then a 2-0 loss to Porto at Estadio do Dragao. 

LYON PREVIEW: LYON NEED CONSISTENCY

Last season, Pierre Sage replaced the sacked duo Laurent Blanc and Fabio Grosso. He led Olympique Lyonnais from rock-bottom in Ligue 1 to the top six and UEFA Europa League qualification. They have endured a difficult summer transfer window which caused a slow start to the season but they have been much-improved ever since.

Lyon come into this one on the back of a 1-1 draw with Lille at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in their most recent outing at the weekend. That result means they are now winless in their last three matches across all competitions. That includes a 1-0 loss to Besiktas in their most recent UEFA Europa League outing. 

HOFFENHEIM TEAM NEWS: SEVERAL INJURIES

Hoffenheim’s form has been brought about for several reasons for the opening few months of this campaign but one of them is down to the amount of injury issues.

The hosts are without former Liverpool centre-back Oaan Kabak due to injury with other key players such as Grischa Promel and Ihlas Bebou also unavailable.

PREDICTED XI (3-4-1-2): Baumann; Chaves, Stach, Nsoki; Gendrey, Grillitsch, Bischof, Prass; Kramaric; Hlozek, Bruun Larsen

UNAVAILABLE: Lenz (Injured), Kabak (Injured), Promel (Injured), Geiger (Injured), Bebou (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: 

LYON TEAM NEWS: COUPLE OF INJURIES

Lyon have a very big squad and a lot of players, especially in attack, to choose from and eventually narrow down and they also have a couple of injuries.

Ernest Nuamah, who nearly joined both Everton and Fulham in the summer, is out with a thigh injury, whilst Mahamadou Diawara is also sidelined for Lyon.

PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Perri; Maitland-Niles, Clinton Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico; Tessmann, Tolisso; Benrahma, Cherki, Zaha; Lacazette

UNAVAILABLE: Diawara (Injured), Nuamah (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: 

KEY STATS

• The only two previous UEFA competition matches between these two teams were in the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League group stage, both encounters finished level. A 3-3 draw in Germany on Matchday 3 was followed by a 2-2 draw in France on Matchday 4.
• Hoffenheim have won their last four UEFA Europa League group/league phase matches at home.
• Hoffenheim have only failed to score in one of their previous 12 UEFA competition matches at home.
• Lyon have won seven and drawn one of their last eight away matches in the UEFA Europa League competition proper.
• Lyon have won only two of their last 11 UEFA competition matches against German teams (D4 L5).
• Lyon have won their last four UEFA Europa League group/league phase matches away from home.
• Lyon have lost only one of their previous 13 UEFA Europa League group/league phase matches away from home (W8 D4).

HOFFENHEIM VS LYON PREDICTION

Hoffenheim have endured a very disappointing start to the season. The hosts have won just one of their last four matches across all competitions. They have remained entertaining with their nine matches so far this season consisting of 32 goals. They face a Lyon side that have been chaotic in the last few years and they could well be quite entertaining throughout the campaign with both teams scoring looking like a good bet for this one. 

HOFFENHEIM VS LYON TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE