Figures & facts: The top facts about the Hoffenheim game

Shortly before Christmas, both teams had a real goal festival, and in mid-December the final score in Sinsheim was 3:3. From the Lilies‘ point of view, it could definitely be seen as a point won, as Lieberknecht’s team was already 0-1 behind after 14 minutes. After Luca Pfeiffer scored the equaliser less than ten minutes later, it was clear to many in the stadium that it probably wouldn’t have been the last goal. Hoffenheim’s striker Ihlas Bebou gave TSG the lead 2-1 and 3-2, but SVD’s Tim Skarke equalised twice and secured a point for the Lilies.

TSG scored 20 of their 40 points this season away from home and Hoffenheim are in a solid sixth place in the away table. But if you look at the shape curve, it goes steeply downwards. The Sinsheimers won all of their first five games on a foreign court, but there was only one win in the remaining eleven away games. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team has lost all of their last four away games.

In this Bundesliga season, Hoffenheim’s attackis particularly impressive; with 56 goals, they find themselves in the top third. Hoffenheim is also at the top of the league in statistics such as finishing efficiency and counterattack goals. It also plays a role that the TSG strikers score consistently; the Hoffenheim attackers scored 38 goals alone.
TSG’s defense is much worse; with 64 goals conceded, TSG has the third-worst defense in the entire Bundesliga. Away from home, Sinsheim concedes an average of more than two goals per game; most recently, Bochum scored three times and FSV Mainz even scored four times in duels with TSG.

Torsten Lieberknecht will have to do without Christoph Zimmermann on Sunday. The central defender picked up his fifth yellow card in the 90+2 minute last weekend and is therefore suspended for the home game against TSG Hoffenheim. The two defensive players Emir Karic and Jannik Müller have to be careful, both defenders have four yellow cards. Hoffenheim’s coach Pellegrino Matarazzo doesn’t have to do without any suspended players.

It will certainly be a very special game this weekend for midfielder Julian Justvan. The professional, on loan from TSG, was already on the pitch in the first leg, but he was still wearing the Hoffenheim jersey. In the 90th minute, Justvan came on for Ozan Kabak when the score was 3:3.

Andreas Müller and Luca Pfeiffer also have a past with the Sinsheimers. Although neither of them ever played a professional game for TSG, they spent part of their youth here. Andi Müller played for Hoffenheim for a total of eight years before moving to Astoria Walldorf.