Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund Prediction: Bundesliga Match on 22.01.2022

Second-placed Borussia Dortmund will be away from home as they take on fourth-placed Hoffenheim on Saturday at 15:30 GMT. 

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Match Preview

Can Dortmund make it Three Consecutive Wins in the Bundesliga?

Having won two consecutive matches in the Bundesliga, bouncing back from the 3-2 defeat at Hertha Berlin, Marco Rose’s men will focus on winning three in a row.

With Erling Haaland in good form, Dortmund will seek to apply pressure at the top of the table by injecting some consistency into their season. 

Can Hoffenheim Hang on to Fourth Place on the Table?

Hoffenheim’s fourth position on the table places them on a good path to qualifying for next season’s Champions League; this will be a major achievement for the team. 

However, they will need to beat in-form Dortmund to retain their top-four berth. 

Form Guide

Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim lost their last match in the Bundesliga, a surprising 2-1 reverse away at Union Berlin. 

Before this defeat, Hoffenheim had gone 3 matches without defeat, notching two draws and two wins.

Hoffenheim have collected 8 points from the 15 available in their last 5 rounds of fixtures in the Bundesliga; this has seen them occupy fourth place, level on points with 5th-placed Union Berlin. 

Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund have won three matches, drawn one, and lost one, in their last five outings in the Bundesliga race.

This sees Marco Rose’s side second on the Bundesliga table, six points behind league leaders Bayern. Dortmund are also eight points ahead of third-placed Leverkusen in the race for a Champions League berth next season.

Team News

Hoffenheim

Sebastian Hoeneß will be without center-back Ermin Bicakcic (fitness), right-winger Robert Skov (hamstring), right-back Pavel Kaderabek (hamstring), and midfielder Marko John (coronavirus), in the clash against Dortmund on Saturday.

Defensive midfielder Daidie Samassekou will be missing because he was called up to the national team’s efforts at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Borussia Dortmund

Marco Rose will be without left-back Marcel Schmelzer who is recovering from knee surgery. Emre Can is a doubt for the weekend with a muscle injury. 

Centre-back Soumaila Coulibaly will miss the Hoffenheim clash with a calf injury, whereas Luca Unbehaum (hand injury) and Mateu Morey Bauza (cruciate ligament injury) are also likely to miss. 

Possible Starting Lineups

Hoffenheim

Baumann; C. Richards, K. Vogt, S. Posch; D. Geiger; A. Kramaric, C. Baumgartner, D. Raum, K. Akpoguma; M. Dabour, I. Bebou

Borussia Dortmund

Kobel; T.Meunier, C. Can, M. Hummels, R. Guerreiro; J. Brandt, M. Dahoud, J. Bellingham; M. Reus, E. Haaland, D. Malen

Players to Watch

I. Bebou

Hoffenheim’s chances of beating Dortmund rest with their striker, Bebou. With his 7 goals and 1 assist, Bebou is the club’s top scorer so far this season, ahead of Rutter who has 4 goals and two goals.

The Togolese’s pace and powerful play make him ideal to play as a striker or winger for Hoffenheim. His partnership with Dabour will be essential in Hoffenheim’s attempt to beat the Dortmund defense and notch a goal(s). 

Dortmund’s strikers are in prolific form in front of goal; this means that Hoffenheim will need to score to stand a chance of taking something from the fixture. Bebou will be the main threat for Hoffenheim when attacking on Saturday. 

E. Haaland

The hotshot striker has been Dortmund’s best player when he has been fit. In the Bundesliga, Haaland is pushing Bayern’s Lewandowski strongly at the top. 

The Norwegian’s 18 goals and 5 assists in 16 outings for Borussia make him the most valuable player for Dortmund, and also means that he is likely to be the star attraction the next time Borussia Dortmund are in Bundesliga action. 

The striker’s goals and physicality give Dortmund an edge that has been useful for them as they chase down the 6-point lead by league leaders Bayern Munich.

Haaland will be crucial for Dortmund when they visit Hoffenheim on Saturday. 

Prediction

Last time out in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund scored 5 against SC Freiburg in the 5-1 win. However, they followed this win with a 2-1 reverse against FC St. Pauli. Hoffenheim lost their last Bundesliga outing 2-1 to Union Berlin.

Dortmund will dominate possession and territory. Hoffenheim will play conservatively and maintain a disciplined shape. The home side will look to attack Dortmund on transitions, which will provide their best chance of getting a goal(s).

Dortmund, in their current form, will be heavily favored to beat Hoffenheim and take all three points. 

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