On Thursday, December 12, in the 6th round of the Europa League, Hoffenheim will face FCSB at home. The match kicks off at 18:45 CET. I propose betting on goals in this match.
Interesting facts about the match and head-to-head history
- Hoffenheim hasn’t won in their last four matches, scoring only one goal in these games.
- FCSB has lost just one of their last 10 games.
- Hoffenheim is unbeaten in three consecutive home matches.
- These teams have never faced each other before.
Match preview
Hoffenheim is in a serious crisis. The club has already changed its head coach this season, replacing Pellegrino Matarazzo with former Sturm Graz manager Christian Ilzner. However, this change hasn’t significantly improved the “Blues’” results as they sit 14th in the Bundesliga with 13 points.
In their most recent match, Hoffenheim drew 1–1 at home against Freiburg. Before that, they suffered defeats to Wolfsburg (0–3) in the DFB-Pokal and Mainz (0–2) in the Bundesliga. Their only win under their new coach came in the 11th round against RB Leipzig (4–3).
In the Europa League, Hoffenheim has collected only five points from five matches and is currently outside the playoff spots, sitting 25th. In the last round, they suffered a surprising 0–3 defeat to Braga, following a 2–2 draw against Lyon.
FCSB is competing for the Romanian league title and currently sits second in Liga 1. However, they trail leaders Universitatea Cluj only due to an inferior goal difference.
In Liga 1, FCSB is on a three-game winning streak, defeating Botoșani (2–1), Oțelul (4–1), and Unirea Slobozia (3–0). Over their last five games, they’ve collected 12 points, with their only loss being to Botoșani (0–1).
In the Europa League, FCSB is one of the biggest surprises. They’ve accumulated 10 points from five games, sitting in a remarkable 10th place. In their most recent match, they drew 0–0 against Olympiacos after beating Midtjylland (2–0) and suffering a heavy defeat to Rangers (0–4).
Expected lineups
- Hoffenheim: Baumann; Kadeřábek, Akpoguma, Nsoki, Prass; Stach, Bischof; Hložek, Kramarić, Larsen; Tabaković.
- FCSB: Târnovanu; Crețu, Ngazana, Mihai Popescu, Radunović; Edjouma, Șut; Octavian Popescu, Olaru, Tănase; Miculescu.
Prediction for Hoffenheim vs FCSB
Given Hoffenheim’s defensive struggles and FCSB’s current form, I expect a high-scoring match. My bet: both teams to score.
Dillan George
Dailysports's expert
Hoffenheim
FC FCSB
