Hoffenheim welcome Hertha Berlin to the PreZero Arena on Saturday as top-flight action in Germany resumes following a two month lay-off.
The Bundesliga will become the first major football league to return after the coronavirus outbreak, and both Hoffenheim and Hertha will be eager to kick things off with a win this weekend.
Hoffenheim currently sit ninth in the table, but with just two points between them and sixth-place Schalke, Alfred Schreuder’s side still have hopes of qualifying for next season’s Europa League.
Ohne Worte 🤩#OTD pic.twitter.com/l6H2mzLQw6— TSG Hoffenheim (@tsghoffenheim) May 12, 2020
Ohne Worte 🤩#OTD pic.twitter.com/l6H2mzLQw6
Having said that, Hoffenheim failed to win any of their five games before the season was put on hold. Three defeats and two draws during that time saw them claim just two points from a possible 15.
Still, victories over Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the campaign prove that Hoffenheim are no pushovers.
Meanwhile, Hertha find themselves in thirteenth – seven points behind Hoffenheim and five points clear of the bottom three.
Bruno Labbadia’s side have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the Bundesliga this season, and their unpredictable nature has left them lingering just above the relegation zone for much of the campaign.
However, after losing eight of their opening 13 games this term, Hertha have only suffered three defeats in their previous 12 league outings.
Back-to-back draws against relegation strugglers Fortuna Dusseldorf and Werder Bremen in their previous two games were hugely important for Hertha.
The recent head-to-head record between these two teams doesn’t look pretty for Hertha. Hoffenheim are unbeaten in their previous six meetings, picking up three wins and three draws.
Hoffenheim claimed a 3-2 victory in the reverse fixture back in October, with top scorer Andrej Kramaric scoring either side of Jurgen Locadia and Benjamin Hubner.
Hoffenheim are likely to be without three key attacking players this weekend, with Ishak Belfodil, Sargis Adamyan, and Munas Dabbur all out injured.
As for Hertha, forward Salomon Kalou is expected to be absent after being suspended for flouting coronavirus safety rules.
Hoffenheim haven’t had much luck on home soil in recent games, winning just two of their previous six at the PreZero Arena.
By contrast, Hertha are unbeaten in their last six away outings, with impressive victories over Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen during that time.
Hoffenheim come into this game as favourites, but Hertha’s strong away record means they are likely to hold the home side to a draw.
Forebet predicts that both sides will score over 1.5 goals. However, the spoils are likely to be shared.