TSG 1899 Hoffenheim vs Union Berlin
After the European Cup got heated during the week, it’s back to the Bundesliga this weekend. The 22nd matchday has plenty of excitement in store and soccer fans can look forward to an eventful weekend. TSG Hoffenheim and Union Berlin face off on Saturday afternoon. Although both teams are pursuing different goals, they are both in desperate need of points. Find out who will win this clash in our Hoffenheim – Union betting tip.
Hoffenheim continue to stumble and failed to win again last weekend. In the 1-1 draw against Cologne, TSG can almost count themselves lucky to have taken a point, as the equalizer for the Sinsheim side only came in the 4th minute of stoppage time. The gap to the international places is not getting any smaller as a result.
Union Berlin, on the other hand, will go into this clash with a sense of achievement, as the Ironmen recently picked up an extremely important win against Wolfsburg. For them, it’s a relegation battle week in, week out and the team cannot rest on its laurels. Nevertheless, there has been something of a spirit of optimism in Berlin since the winter break
Hoffenheim – Union info
- Date & Time: 17.02.2024, 3:30 pm
- Playing venue: Rhein-Neckar Arena, Sinsheim
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 22
Hoffenheim Form & Balance Check
Hoffenheim have yet to record a win since the turn of the year and have picked up just three points from their five games after the winter break. The winless streak now stands at seven games and TSG are longing for a sense of achievement. The Kraichgauers are still in eighth place in the table, five points behind Frankfurt and still within striking distance of the international qualification places. Hoffenheim are also currently benefiting from the fact that their closest rivals from Frankfurt and Freiburg have also dropped points and are therefore unable to pull away. With a win, TSG could move up to seventh place if Freiburg fail to win again
Strength away from home lost
Hoffenheim showed a very strong performance on away pitches in the first half of the season. Before the winter break, coach Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team were the third-best team in the away table, with five wins from eight games. Recently, however, this away strength has disappeared somewhat. TSG have failed to win any of their three away games this year, picking up just one measly point. Coach Matarazzo would do well to regain his old strength in order to be able to attack again in the battle for the international places
Hoffenheim facts & analysis
- Eighth place in the table
- Five points behind an international qualification place
- Not won in seven games
Union Form & Balance Sheet Check
The record of Berlin’s last four games is two wins, one draw and just one defeat. This puts the team in 15th place with a total of 21 points, but they are managing to move further and further away from the relegation zone. The midfield of the league is close together and Union are now only two points behind eleventh place. Coach Nenad Bjelica seems to be finding the right words at the moment, as Berlin is showing a completely different face in the second half of the season than at the start. Should Union also win in Hoffenheim, the team could climb up the table a little and finish in mid-table
Doekhi is back
The Berliners have been able to call on the services of defender Danilho Doekhi again for three games. The 25-year-old central defender was injured in the Champions League group game against Napoli at the end of October and was out for over three months. Since his return, he has played every minute, which shows how important he is to his team. The Dutchman, who is primarily responsible for the defense, will have been delighted to finally keep a clean sheet in the last game. However, the joy of scoring the winner could be even greater, as Doekhi scored just before the final whistle of the first half, the only goal of the game to earn the Irons three points
Union facts & analysis
- 15th place in the table
- Last game won
- Seven points from the last four games
TSG play in a 3-4-3 formation, with the full-backs forming a five-man back line. We expect Anton Stach to start again in midfield. Either Umut Tohumcu or Robert Skov will have to make way for him. We also expect the goalscorer from the last game, Andrej Kramarić, to return to the starting line-up.
After the recent success against Wolfsburg, we expect few changes for Union. In the 3-3-2-2 system, the two strikers Kevin Volland and Benedict Hollerbach are currently set. Only Janik Haberer, who was suspended in the last match, will return to the midfield. Brenden Aaronson and Aissa Laidouni are still available as options from the bench
Hoffenheim – Union head-to-head & stats
Hoffenheim and Union Berlin have already met nine times. The balance is relatively even. TSG have won four, while Union have come away victorious three times. The Sinsheim side have won twice recently, meaning Union’s last victory was in January last year. The very first meeting took place in 2019. Hoffenheim won 2-0 on that occasion, and the highest-ever win between the two clubs also went to Hoffenheim. On matchday 33 of the 2019/2020 season, Union went down 4-0 to the Kraichgauers
Direct comparison (H2H)
