Bundesliga | Gameweek 7

Oct 19, 2024 at 2.30pm UK

DnB NOR Arena

Hoffenheim vs VfL Bochum

Match preview

Despite finishing a respectable seventh last season, Hoffenheim have made a disappointing start to the current campaign, sitting third from bottom after six games.

Despite their below-par start, Pellegrino Matarazzo's men went into the international break on the back of a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League and a point from last season's high-flying Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.

It could have been all three points against Sebastian Hoeness' men, but Ermedin Demirovic equalised deep into second-half stoppage time to cancel out Valentin Gendrey's goal just before the break.

Supporters will be hoping that the break has not come at the wrong time for a team that looked to be turning a corner, with the hosts hoping to follow up this Europa League triumph with consecutive home wins in all competitions and their first Bundesliga win since a 3-2 victory over newly-promoted Holstein Kiel in the opening round.

Success for Hoffenheim could see the 16th-placed side climb as high as 12th, although that would depend on results going their way elsewhere.

Despite welcoming one of the lowest goalscorers in the competition in Bochum, Matarazzo's men's failure to keep a clean sheet in six league games could work in the away side's favour.

Die Unabsteigbaren needed a relegation play-off penalty shootout against second-from-bottom Fortuna Düsseldorf to retain their top-flight status after finishing 16th in the regular season, and this year's early-season struggles suggest another challenging campaign ahead.

Peter Zeidler's arrival in the North Rhine-Westphalian dugout has failed to turn around the fortunes of a club that has not won a top-flight match since early May, losing seven of its last eight matches over two seasons.

Despite their goalscoring woes - only St. Pauli (four) have fewer than the bottom side's six - their 14 goals conceded are the fourth-worst statistic in the division.

A further concern for Zeidler is Bochum's inability to hold on to leads, underlined by a 1-0 defeat to Freiburg, a late leveller against newly promoted Holstein Kiel despite leading 2-1, and a 2-1 defeat at Borussia Dortmund.

With the last four meetings between the two clubs having gone in the home side's favour, Die Unabsteigbaren will be hoping that good fortune favours them in this typically high-scoring encounter.

Recent Performance

Hoffenheim Bundesliga form:WLLLLD

Hoffenheim form (all competitions):LLDLWD

VfL Bochum Bundesliga form:LLLDLL

Injuries and suspensions

Hoffeiheim

3 Pavel Kaderabek

4 Tim Drexler (uncertained)

5 Ozan Kabak

34 Stanley Nsoki

19 David Jurásek

6 Grischa Prömel

8 Dennis Geiger

20 Finn Ole Becker

9 Ihlas Bebou

Vfl Bochum

5 Bernardo

19 Matus Bero

Possible starting lineups

Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:

Baumann; Drexler, Stach, Akpoguma; Gendrey, Grillitsch, Bischof, Prass; Kramaric; Hlozek, Bulter

VfL Bochum possible starting lineup:

Drewes; Passlack, Medic, Ordets, Wittek; Sissoko, Losilla; Broschinski, De Wit, Miyoshi; Hofmann