Position
It was another impressive display of strength: in the 5-1 victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach last Wednesday evening, Hoffenheim once again convinced in all aspects and was far superior to the visitors in both defense and attack. “It was a deserved victory for TSG, also because of the result,” Borussia coach Eugen Polanski bluntly admitted. At half-time, the locals were leading 4-0. Andrej Kramaric stood out once again in a very solid team with his three goals. The Croatian put TSG ahead with a penalty and, shortly before half-time, scored twice more. His third goal, a shot from a low angle, was a dream. For Kramaric, it wasn’t just a special night because of his hat-trick. The 34-year-old made his 302nd Bundesliga appearance against Gladbach, surpassing his compatriot and friend Zvonimir Soldo as the Croatian player with the most appearances in the Bundesliga. No wonder Kramaric gushed afterward, talking about an “incredible day.”
What TSG Hoffenheim is demonstrating on the pitch this season is not inconceivable, but it is impressive. Of the last ten Bundesliga games, the Kraichgau team has won seven, drawn two and only lost one (2-0 against Borussia Dortmund). He added 23 of the 30 possible points. The 5-1 against Gladbach was the fifth consecutive home victory, and coach Christian Ilzer’s team has always scored at least three goals. But Hoffenheim doesn’t only shine at home. In the away standings, the blue and white team is in third place with 15 points, behind Bayern (21) and Dortmund (16). With the victory against Gladbach, TSG overtook Bayer 04 in the overall standings. Ahead of the duel with the Werkself this Saturday, Hoffenheim is in fifth place with 30 points, one ahead of visitors Leverkusen, who are sixth.
With their biggest win of the season to date, Hoffenheim started the new year somewhat late after the match against SV Werder Bremen was canceled due to weather conditions. “Today we enjoyed success, but tomorrow we should wake up looking forward to facing Leverkusen,” declared Christian Ilzer immediately after the 5-1 win over Gladbach, with his sights set on the next home game. In any case, Andrej Kramaric, author of a hat-trick, was already hungry for success: “We deserve to achieve something big this season. Now we have to recover quickly and prepare for Saturday. Then we will give it our all again. “We still have many games ahead of us, but if we want to play in the Champions League next season, we also have to defeat rivals like Leverkusen.”
Personal
At the beginning of January this year, the Kraichgau team signed the American Cole Campbell, on loan from Borussia Dortmund. This young 19-year-old winger stands out for his great speed and strength in duels. In the 3-0 friendly match against Schweinfurt, the new signing demonstrated his scoring ability and scored TSG’s last goal. However, Campbell missed the last game against Mönchengladbach with ankle problems and is also unlikely to be available on Saturday. In his place, Bazoumana Touré, who returns from the Africa Cup, could start at left back. The Ivorian, also very fast, reaches 35.98 km/h, only surpassed by Oliver Burke (1. FC Union Berlin, 36.01 km/h) in top speed in the league, he is strong in dribbling and, with five assists, he is Hoffenheim’s best assistant after Wouter Burger (6).
TSG will still be without central defender Koki Machida (torn cruciate ligaments) and former Leverkusen player Adam Hlozek (calf injury) against the Werkself. On the contrary, central defender Albian Hajdari could return to the starting eleven after serving his suspension for accumulation of yellow cards. Midfielder Grischa Prömel, who came off the bench against Gladbach, is also a candidate to be part of the starting eleven on Saturday.
Problems
At the beginning of the first round, TSG was vulnerable to counterattacks in some games and showed problems in defending from set pieces. This was the case in the first two home defeats against Eintracht Frankfurt (1-3) and Bayern Munich (1-4). Eintracht took advantage of two quick counterattacks to score two goals against a Hoffenheim that had gone on the attack. Against Bayern, Ilzer’s team wasted too many chances in a great first half, while the German record champions took the lead after a set piece and then converted two penalties. “We have to improve, especially in the set pieces against us,” Ilzer demanded after the match against Bayern. In the 0-1 defeat against 1. FC Köln, the third and so far last home defeat, the goal conceded was a consequence of a loss of ball in the center of the field and Köln’s quick counterattack.
to highlight
TSG faces each match with great intensity. Lots of deep runs, lots of sprints, high pressure: Hoffenheim always gives their all. And, despite all its power, it plays in a very balanced way. This is due, among other things, to the club’s good transfer policy last summer. Christian Ilzer has managed not only to integrate the numerous signings, but also to turn them into fundamental pillars of the TSG game. Thus, in defense, Albian Hajdari (FC Lugano), Bernardo (VfL Bochum 1848) and Vladimir Coufal (West Ham United) provide a lot of stability. If last season TSG was the second weakest defense in the league, with 68 goals conceded in 34 games, this season goalkeeper and captain Oliver Baumann has only had to take the ball out of the net 21 times in 16 games, which is the fourth best record in the table.
In the midfield, two new signings have become indispensable: midfielder Leon Avdullahu (FC Basel) is a key player due to his precision in passing, his speed and his strength in duels. It is not surprising that the 21-year-old Kosovar has started all 18 official matches played so far. Almost all attacks go through Hoffenheim’s number 7. The same goes for Wouter Burger, who arrived in the summer from Stoke City. The Dutchman is undoubtedly more dangerous than Avdullahu and has already scored three goals.
Tim Lemperle (1. FC Köln) and Fisnik Asllani are also responsible for scoring goals up front. The latter is TSG’s top scorer with six goals and four assists. Asllani returned to Hoffenheim in the summer after his loan to SV 07 Elversberg, and together with Lemperle celebrated a perfect debut on the first matchday: the two strikers gave TSG a 2-1 victory against the Werkself with their goals. And then there’s club legend Andrej Kramaric, who, like Lemperle and Asllani, also has six goals (three assists). In total, Hoffenheim, with 34 goals, is now, together with the Werkself, the third best attack in the league, behind Bayern (66) and Frankfurt (35).
