TSG Hoffenheim – SV Darmstadt 98
The winter break is just around the corner, but there are still some exciting games in the Bundesliga to round off the English week. The first three games of matchday 16 will take place on Tuesday, with TSG Hoffenheim hosting the Lilies from Darmstadt at home in the PreZero Arena. Both teams go into this clash on the back of a defeat in their last match and will be looking to pick up some points ahead of the festive period. You can find out whether they can take something from TSG or whether Hoffenheim will come away victorious in our Hoffenheim – Darmstadt betting tip.
Hoffenheim were beaten last weekend by the currently in-form Leipzig Bulls. Freiburg’s victory over Cologne meant that TSG lost their pole position in the battle for the international places and slipped to seventh place. Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team will therefore be desperate to secure a home win against Darmstadt in order to stay within striking distance.
Darmstadt lost at home to Wolfsburg despite being outnumbered for over an hour. The Lilies were in dire need of a home win and remain in the red lantern. Even though the season is still long, Darmstadt need every point to stay in the league
Hoffenheim – Darmstadt info
- Date & Time: 19.12.2023, 20:30 hrs.
- Playing venue: PreZero-Arena, Sinsheim
- Competition: Bundesliga, matchday 16
- TV broadcast: Sky
Hoffenheim Form & Balance Check
Hoffenheim have dropped a few points in recent weeks. From the last seven games, there was only one win against VfL Bochum just under two weeks ago. As a result, TSG have picked up just five points from their last six Bundesliga games. Nevertheless, the Kraichgauers were still in sixth place until the previous matchday and only recently had to relinquish the last international qualification place to Freiburg.
Hoffenheim are currently one point behind sixth place and three points behind fifth place. The midfield of the league is tight, and the gap is also shrinking towards the bottom, to eighth and ninth place. From the Kraichgauers’ point of view, it is almost a must-win against Darmstadt, because if coach Matarazzo’s team drop points again, TSG could well lose further places in the table before the winter break
Strong goalscoring streak
Despite their 3:1 defeat last Saturday, Hoffenheim have been able to continue their impressive run, having scored in every league game so far, bringing their total to 29 goals.
Hoffenheim’s strong away record is also linked to their accuracy, as TSG have scored 17 goals away from home, putting them joint top of the league along with Leverkusen, Bayern and Gladbach. If Matarazzo manages to get his team to a more consistent level defensively, it could boost Hoffenheim’s performance even further
Hoffenheim facts & analysis
- Only one win from seven games recently
- Slipped to seventh place in the table
- Scored in every league game so far
Darmstadt Form & Balance Check
Darmstadt are still deep in the relegation battle. With just nine points in the current season, the Lilies are bottom of the table, one point behind the relegation places and also 15th place. They have recently suffered three defeats in a row and have now gone eight games without a win.
After the game in Hoffenheim, the Lilies still have a clash with BVB to finish the first half of the season after the winter break. Despite being bottom of the table, everything is still possible for coach Torsten Lieberknecht’s team, as the competition is fortunately performing just as poorly from Darmstadt’s perspective this season
Losses cannot be compensated for
The Lilies can cite the absence of many key players as an attempt to explain their poor performances in recent weeks. Among others, Darmstadt have been missing important players such as Marvin Mehlem, Fabian Holland, Christoph Zimmermann and Fabian Nürnberger for some time. The team is currently unable to compensate for these absences.
Darmstadt’s offense is also a cause for concern, as it lacks a striker who is capable of scoring goals and has a strong header. New signing Fraser Hornby will also miss months after ankle surgery
Darmstadt facts & analysis
- Last of the table
- Winless in eight games
- Goal ratio of 17:38
Predicted line-up – last update on December 19, 2023
We expect Hoffenheim to play in a 3-3-2-2 system. Maximilian Beier will return to the first eleven to replace Ihlas Bebou, who was still in the starting eleven in Leipzig. Florian Grilitsch, Umut Tohumcu and Finn Ole Becker will provide a breath of fresh air from the bench. Grilitsch and central defender Ozan Kabak are on the verge of yellow card suspensions with four yellow cards.
Darmstadt will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation and continue to try and compensate for the many injuries. Compared to the 1-0 defeat against Wolfsburg, we expect Matthias Bader and Tobias Kempe back in the starting line-up. Mathias Honsak will probably lose his place in the starting line-up
Hoffenheim – Darmstadt head-to-head & stats
There have only been four meetings between the two clubs in the Bundesliga so far. The overall statistics are balanced, as both teams have won one match each. Two encounters ended in a draw. Before the matches in the German top flight, however, there were ten matches between the two teams in the Regionalliga Süd between 2000 and 2008. Here, too, the balance remains even, with both teams winning four times each. The first meeting took place in 2001 and went 1-0 to the Lilies.
- Balanced overall statistics
- Last game won by Hoffenheim 2:0
- Darmstadt’s last win was back in 2016
