Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs. Hoffenheim

Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Bundesliga clash between Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Following a midweek draw against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, Borussia Dortmund return to Bundesliga action with a home game against Hoffenheim on Sunday.

The visitors will be desperate to leave Signal Iduna Park with all three points after failing to win any of their last eight league games.

Match preview
© Reuters

Dortmund extended their unbeaten to 10 matches in all competitions with a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against PSV.

Donyell Malen found the net against his former club to give Dortmund a slender half-time lead, before Luuk de Jong restored parity from the penalty spot after Mats Hummels was penalised for a challenge on Malik Tillman – a decision the 35-year-old later called a “joke” in a social media post after the game.

With their Champions League clash finely poised ahead of next month’s second leg, Dortmund will now turn their focus back to league action, with Edin Terzic’s side currently residing in fourth place and one point clear of RB Leipzig in fifth position.

Unfortunately for die Schwarzgelben, they are out of the title picture, having drawn eight and lost three of their 22 league games, leaving them 17 points adrift of leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Despite struggling for consistency this term, Dortmund will fancy their chances of claiming all three points on Sunday after winning 3-0 and 3-1 in their last two home league games against Bochum and Freiburg respectively.

They have also beaten Hoffenheim on two occasions this season, winning 3-1 in September’s league meeting before claiming a narrow 1-0 victory in November’s clash in the DFB-Pokal.

Pellegrino Matarazzo has seen his position as Hoffenheim boss come under scrutiny after his side fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Union Berlin last weekend, extending their winless run to eight Bundesliga matches.

Hoffenheim’s Stanley Nsoki and Union’s Kevin Volland were given their marching orders in first-half stoppage time, before USA international Brenden Aaronson scored an 84th-minute winner to condemn die Kraichgauer to their first home loss since December.

The ninth-placed side will need to quickly spark an upturn in results if they are to get their European push back on track, with Matarazzo’s troops sitting six points adrift of the top six ahead of the weekend’s round of fixtures.

However, their hopes of claiming a positive result on Sunday will be tempered by the fact they have lost four of their previous five away matches in the top flight (D1).

Having shipped at least two goals in each of those five away trips, Hoffenheim will have to tighten up defensively if they are to have any hope of picking up their first win over Dortmund since June 2020.

Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga form:

Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):

Hoffenheim Bundesliga form:

Team News
© Reuters

Dortmund goalkeeper Alexander Meyer will deputies for Gregor Kobel once again after the 26-year-old sustained a muscle injury in the warm-up for Tuesday’s Champions League clash with PSV.

The hosts are also without the services of midfielder Felix Nmecha and Sebastien Haller, but Terzic is hoping that Niklas Sule can recover from illness in time for Sunday’s contest.

The Dortmund boss also revealed that winger Karim Adeyemi is set to return to the matchday squad following a spell on the sidelines.

Terzic could be tempted to bring fresh legs into the side, with Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Julian Brandt in contention to start against Hoffenheim.

As for the visitors, midfielder Grischa Promel will miss out after he was forced off in the first half against Union due to a knee injury.

Promel is joined in the treatment room by Kevin Akpoguma, Marco John and Mergim Berisha, while Nsoki will serve a one-match suspension after being sent off for two bookable offences last weekend.

Marius Bulter is also a doubt because of illness, but Dennis Geiger could take up a place on the bench following a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Meyer; Ryerson, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Can; Malen, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens; Fullkrug

Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Kaderabek, Kabak, Brooks, Jurasek; Stach, Grillitsch, Tohumcu; Kramaric; Beier, Weghorst

We say: Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Hoffenheim
Dortmund may have drawn three of their last four competitive matches, but they have won each of their previous six meetings with Hoffenheim, and we think they will do enough to beat a side that have lost four of their last five away league games.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

ID:537430:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect13780:

Previews by emailClick here to get Sports Mole’s daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!