First, of two remaining duels of the Round 13 matchups in German Bundesliga that will take place on the second day of the weekend will be staged at Volksparkstadion. The home team that is coming off from a 2:0 road loss in Gelsenkirchen will lock horns with the Hoffenheim Blues from Sinsheim that managed to split the points in the last week’s duel against Eintracht Frankfurt at home.
HSV still hasn’t managed to get out of the results crisis that lasts since the beginning of the month of September while Hoffenheim also performs a bit shady lately with only one win in last six games. It’s time to recoup our strength and work out some Sunday’s magic in order to take out the money from your bookies. It’s revenge time so let’s take a closer look.
Hamburger SV vs. TSG Hoffenheim 1899
Three-Way: 1: Hamburger SV +202; X: +260 Draw; 2: TSG Hoffenheim 1899 +160 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Hamburger SV +120; TSG Hoffenheim 1899 -123
Total +2.5: Over -123; Under +120
HAMBURGER SV
The Red Shorts looked like they’re on to something when they finally ended that eight-game winless streak two weeks ago with a win over Stuttgart at home but they got back to their old ways one week later with an uncomfortable 2:0 loss in Gelsenkirchen that showed certain lack of quality in HSV squad. Now they have to get back on track and shaken Hoffenheim squad presents a perfect opponent for this kind of business. The team from the north of the country needs to regroup and start performing better if they want to avoid the battle for survival this year.
Currently, they rank just above the relegation line with 10 points and 3-1-8 record (2-1-3 at home). They are one of the worse hosts so far with only seven points earned that ranks them at No. 16 spot in the home league table while their goal difference is 10-20 (4-7 at home soil). 33% of their home duels had over 2.5 goals in total while 25% of their overall matches had over 3.5 goals in total. They’ve managed to score at least one goal in both halves in every fourth game while they’ve also managed to concede at least one goal in both halves in 42% of their overall matches. Both teams scored in 33% of their games and the most common score at home was 2:0 loss (occurred twice).
Coach Gisdol prefers the 4-2-3-1 scheme with Diekmeier, Papadopoulos, Mavraj and Santos in the defensive line and Jung and Sakai in front of them as defensive midfielders. Ito, Hunt, and Kostic usually present the backup for Arp who presents the only striker in this formation. Jann-Fiete Arp tops the team in scoring with two goals while eight different Hamburger’s players scored one goal each so far. Dennis Diekmeier tops the team in assisting with two while passing segment belongs to defenders Gotoku Sakai with 337 and Papadopoulos with 315 total passes. Goalkeeper Christain Mathenia has 167 shots against, 26 saves and two clean-sheet games so far. Greek centre-back Kyriakos Papadopoulos is the most undisciplined player in the team and in the league with seven bookings.
Albin Ekdal (thigh) should be back during this month while Nicolai Muller’s (cruciate ligament) timetable for return is set for late February next year. Andre Hahn’s (Illness), Walace’s (knee), Bjarne Thoelke’s (knee, foot) and Andreas Hirzel’s (Flu) status is unknown while Christian Mathenia (back) and Pierre-Michael Lasogga (thigh) are listed as day to day.
TSG HOFFENHEIM 1899
The Hoffenheim squad has been struggling lately and they’ve received a big blow on Thursday in UEFA Europa League when they suffered a 3:1 road loss against Portuguese side Braga on the road, thus losing any chance of advancing to the next stage of this European competition. In Bundesliga they are undefeated in last two rounds with a win over FC Koln on the road and last week’s points-splitting matchup against Frankfurt, but I just can’t resist the impression that the squad is not working on optimum level, and this disappointment in the European scene will probably leave a trace on the players.
They are currently ranked at No. 6 spot in the league table with 20 points and 5-5-2 record (2-2-1 on the road). Their goal difference is 21-15 (11-8 away) and they’ve managed to score at least one goal in each of their last 12 matches. Another interesting fact is that Hoffenheim has scored the opening goal in 75% of their duels while both teams scored in 80% of their visiting games. 50% of their overall showdowns had over 2.5 goals in total while 40% of their road duels had over 4.5 goals in total. The team managed to score at least one goal in both halves in 60% of their road matches but they’ve also managed to concede at least one goal in both halves in 40% of those games.
Head coach Julain Nagelsmann usually prefers the 3-1-4-2 scheme with Akpoguma, Vogt, and Posch at centre-back positions with Grillitsch in front of them operating as a safety. Schulz, Geiger, Demirbay, and Rupp usually start as midfielders while Uth and Wagner operate solely up front. Mark Uth tops the team in scoring with six goals while Sandro Wagner has four in his account. Andrej Kramaric is the team’s leading assister with three while passing segment belongs to defenders Kevin Vogt with 700 and Benjamin Hubner with 451 total passes. Goalie Oliver Baumann has 166 shots against, 38 saves and four clean-sheet games so far while Hubner has team-high five yellow cards collected.
Meris Skenderovic’s (thigh) status is unknown and it’s unclear if he will available for Sunday’s matchup. Benjamin Hubner (ankle) and Pavel Kaderabek (knee) are listed as day to day while Bosnian defender Ermin Bicakcic (knee) is back in training and should be available.
Hamburger SV vs. TSG Hoffenheim 1899 – Match Prediction
The Hamburger SV squad had more success in the last year’s double-header between these two teams (2:1 home win, 2:2 road draw). Since 2010, the Red Shorts also hold the upper hand in head to head duels with six wins oppose to five by Hoffenheim while three duels ended with a draw.
On Sunday, my best guess is a bit bold and it goes on the side of the home team because I just can’t see how a failure on the European scene cannot affect the squad greatly, especially in their next duel and that’s why I think that HSV can take full prey here. When it comes to the total number of goals I will also go uncharted with the claim that there will be no more than 2.5 goals in total. I know that both picks sound a bit strange but I assure you that this is the way this duel is going to play out.
My pick: Hamburger SV to win (+202)
Additional pick: Under 2.5 goals (+120)
