Borussia Mönchengladbach – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Five wins in six direct encounters make Borussia Mönchengladbach TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s bogey team – and yet Gerardo Seoane’s side are facing a tough task. Four Bundesliga games without a win have shaken their 9th place in the table, striker Tim Kleindienst openly complains about a lack of presence in the penalty area, while returnee Franck Honorat only provides creative flashes of brilliance on a part-time basis. At the same time, the defense remains vulnerable due to numerous injuries.
Hoffenheim travels to the match in fifteenth place and could almost secure its place in the league with an away win. However, the absence of captain and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann (concussion) is a blow, as is the team’s shaky away form, which has seen it lose three games in a row. In the recent 2-3 defeat to Dortmund, the already fragile defense was further shaken by VAR discussions following Baumann’s head injury.
Historically, this duel promises to be spectacular: the most recent encounters have regularly produced several goals, with Gladbach winning the last meeting 2-1. Both teams therefore need to deliver – Gladbach to secure their minimum goal of a top 10 finish, Hoffenheim to gain some distance from the danger zone.
Gladbach – Hoffenheim info
- Venue: BORUSSIA-PARK, Mönchengladbach
- Date and time: May 3, 2025, 3:30 p.m.
- Competition: Bundesliga (matchday 32)
Gladbach form & record check
Borussia Mönchengladbach have won only once since the end of March (1-0 in Leipzig) and have picked up just one point since then. It is striking that the Foals have scored in each of their last five league games, but have conceded nine goals. Youngster Chiarodia was given a chance recently, but made a mistake in Kiel (3-4).
Coach Seoane is looking for stability, but is unable to rotate much due to a lack of personnel in defense: Nicolas, Itakura, Elvedi, and Friedrich are still out. In attack, a lot depends on Honorat, who has been involved in four of the last five goals in three appearances. Kleindienst, on the other hand, has been waiting for a goal for four games. At home, there has been only one win in five appearances – Borussia-Park is not a fortress at the moment.
Gladbach are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Omlin – Scally, Chiarodia, Sander, Ullrich – Weigl, Reitz – Hack, Pléa, Honorat – Kleindienst. Three regular center backs are missing, which means that the Chiarodia/Sander duo will be called upon once again. Honorat will probably be used sparingly, with Hack and Pléa feeding Kleindienst with balls. There isn’t much room for rotation due to a lack of alternatives, so Seoane will rely on possession and quick transitions.
Hoffenheim form & record check
TSG have picked up just four points from their last five games (one win, one draw). However, goals are guaranteed: Hoffenheim have always scored, but have conceded almost as reliably. The team collapses after the break in particular, failing to win a single game in the second half of these matches.
In terms of personnel, the absence of Ozan Kabak weighs heavily alongside Baumann, and Prömel is also missing. Fifteenth place means they are only one point ahead of St. Pauli and five ahead of Heidenheim. Individual mistakes and a lack of balance between attacking and defensive play are keeping the Kraichgauers in the relegation battle.
Hoffenheim continues to plan with a 3-4-2-1 formation: Busk – Chaves, Østigård, Akpoguma – Kadeřábek, Geiger, Stach, Bülter – Hložek, Kramarić – Touré. Baumann and Kabak are out, Busk gets the nod in goal again. Ilzer could bring on Jurásek or Becker later, but the basic system remains stable. Kramarić remains the key player, tasked with creating chances between the lines.
H2H Gladbach – Hoffenheim Head-to-head & statistics
Gladbach clearly has the upper hand in the head-to-head comparison: four wins and one defeat in the last five encounters, with the Foals winning all three of the most recent matches. A draw? Not yet. At least three goals were scored in each of these games, with both teams always finding the net – especially after the break. In short: if you love goals, you’ll rarely be disappointed with this pairing.
