Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg Preview: Team News & Prediction
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Hoffenheim stumbled through to the winter break despite a change in management as they return to take on a Wolfsburg side that had seemingly clicked under Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Kick-off date/time: Saturday 11th January, 2025: UK – 2:30pm / US ET – 9:30am / US PT – 6:30am
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – Some matches will be televised on ESPN channels so it is worth checking their schedules
How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – ESPN+
Hoffenheim Preview: Struggling Ilzer
Over the November international break, Hoffenheim took the decision to sack Pellegrino Matarazzo and appoint Sturm Graz boss Christian Ilzer but Ilzer’s start to his reign has been underwhelming as they hover above the danger zone.
Hoffenheim went into the winter break on the back of a 2-1 defeat at home to in-form Borussia Monchengladbach a few weeks ago. That means the home team have now endured a four-match winless run of form as they struggle against the drop.
Wolfsburg Preview: Need a response
Former Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has implemented his intense pressing style and entertaining style of football at the Volkswagen Arena this season with Wolfsburg’s 15 Bundesliga matches consisting of 60 goals.
The Bavarians did, though, head into the winter break on the back of back-to-back defeats with a 3-2 defeat at the SC Stadion against Freiburg being backed up by a 3-1 defeat at home to a resurgent but still inconsistent Borussia Dortmund side.
Hoffenheim Team News: Several injuries
Hoffenheim have two definite absentees in defence with both Ozan Kabak and Grischa Promel unavailable. The hosts have several injury doubts, too, such as Arthur Chaves, Stanley Nsoki, Florian Grillitsch and Ihlas Bebou.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Baumann; Gendrey, Akpoguma, Hranac, Prass; Bischof, Stach, Samassekou, Kramaric; Hlozek, Bruun Larsen
Unavailable: Kabak (Injured), Promel (Injured)
Questionable: Chaves (Injured), Nsoki (Injured), Grillitsch (Injured), Moerstedt (Injured), Tohumcu (Injured), Bulter (Injured), Bebou (Injured)
Wolfsburg Team News: A few injuries
Wolfsburg have several injury doubts and definite absentees for this weekend’s trip to Hoffenheim with Croatia international Lovro Majer sidelined, whilst the likes of Rogerio and Aster Vranckx are injury doubts, too.
Predicted XI (3-5-2): Grabara; Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis; Baku, Svanberg, Arnold, Gerhardt, Maehle; Wind, Amoura
Unavailable: Majer (Injured), Bialek (Injured), Paredes (Injured)
Questionable: Bornauw (Injured), Rogerio (Injured), Vranckx (Injured)
Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg Prediction
Hoffenheim come into this one in genuine danger of falling into the second-tier in the second-half of the campaign. They will believe themselves to be ‘too good to go down’ and having something of a mini pre-season with a new-ish manager should have helped them. Hasenhuttl is not under pressure as Wolfsburg travel to Hoffenheim but he could do with rediscovering their form of late autumn. An entertaining restart to the Bundesliga campaign for the two sides would seem a good bet.
Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg Tip: Both teams to score
