Hoffenheim – Borussia Dortmund: We Expect Plenty of Goals
The second round of the Bundesliga brings us an intriguing encounter as Hoffenheim welcome Borussia Dortmund to their home ground. The two teams started the season in very different moods, so it will already be interesting to see who can back up their ambitions. The match will take place on 5 September at Hoffenheim’s home stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 14:30 CEST time.
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Hoffenheim began their campaign with a painful 2-3 defeat to Köln. However, the team did not look completely out of their depth: they scored twice and caused their opponents plenty of problems. Nevertheless, defensive issues once again made themselves felt. This is particularly concerning ahead of the meeting with Dortmund, as the visitors have plenty of players capable of punishing any space left behind.
Dortmund, meanwhile, made a highly confident start. Borussia defeated Hamburg 2-0 at home. Niko Kovač’s side immediately took control, enjoyed plenty of possession and applied pressure around the opposition penalty area. Even in the opening game, it was clear that BVB want to play not only through quick attacks but can also patiently work their way through an opponent’s defence.
When it comes to the squad, Hoffenheim have plenty of options in attack.
Experienced forward Andrej Kramarić remains one of the team’s key players, while he could be joined by Adam Hložek, Fisnik Asllani, Tim Lemperle or Adam Daghim. Ozan Kabak should play an important role in central defence, while captain Oliver Baumann traditionally remains the hosts’ last line of defence. The squad also includes players such as Vladimír Coufal, Kōki Machida and Alexander Prass.
Dortmund have even more options to choose from. Serhou Guirassy remains the main focal point in attack, while the midfield features enough mobile players to constantly change the direction of attacks. BVB have also significantly lowered the average age of their squad this summer, with the club putting its faith in promising talents including Greek youngsters Konstantinos Karetsas and Giannis Konstantelias.
Tactically, I expect an open game. Hoffenheim are unlikely to sit deep at home and surrender the initiative. The hosts will probably look to press, move the ball quickly into the final third and make use of the flanks. Their main challenge will be avoiding leaving too much space behind the defensive line.
Dortmund, meanwhile, will surely try to control the tempo. Kovač will not want the match to turn into a chaotic shootout: during positional attacks, Dortmund are capable of causing serious problems for the hosts’ defence, while quick transitions from defence to attack could become the visitors’ main weapon.
Overall, Hoffenheim are certainly capable of scoring at home, but Dortmund look the stronger side in terms of squad quality and overall level. I expect chances at both ends and at least two goals.
My prediction — Both teams to score: Yes.
