Hoffenheim – Eintracht Frankfurt : Preview & Prediction
Hoffenheim are firmly back in relegation contention after a three-game winless streak in the Bundesliga, including back-to-back defeats, left them just one point above the red zone before this matchday. Kraichgauer’s 1-0 loss to RB Leipzig adds to the pressure ahead of the visit of Eintracht Frankfurt, a team that coach Pellegrino Matarazzo has never beaten in his career (E3, P2).
A miserable season has perhaps made playing in front of their own fans a burden for Hoffenheim, as they won only two of their last 12 league games at the PreZero Arena (E2, P8). Combine that with their lack of wins in ten of their last 11 games against Frankfurt (G1, E3, P7), and it’s likely to be a nerve-wracking end to the season for Hoffenheim fans.
The Eagles may still be flying after advancing to the DFB Pokal final in midweek, coming from behind to secure a 3-2 victory over Stuttgart. Oliver Glasner praised his “great group” of players after reaching a second cup final in as many seasons, but the Austrian now needs to find the winning touch in the league after nine games without success (E5, P4).
That poor run has all but ended their hopes of returning to Europe via the league, and leaving their home stadium is unlikely to inspire a turnaround given Frankfurt’s failure to win an away game in 2023 (E3, P6). There are problems at both ends of the pitch, with the Eagles the only team in the division yet to keep a clean sheet away from home in 2022/23, while they have failed to score more than one goal in any of their last seven visits in league action.
Players to watch: Andrej Kramarić looks Hoffenheim’s best hope of scoring after netting four goals in six league games, although he has managed just one in 12 career appearances against Frankfurt (G3, E4, P5). No Bundesliga player has directly contributed to more goals this season than Randal Kolo Muani (13 goals, 10 assists), three of which were recorded in the 4-2 win in the previous meeting between the two clubs in this league campaign (one goal, two assists).
Weekend stat: Hoffenheim have led at halftime in just six of their 30 Bundesliga matches this season (HT: E11, P13).
Hoffenheim – Eintracht Frankfurt : Betting Tips
Eintracht Frankfurt – Win Odds: 3.25
