MX23RW : Thursday, March 28 21:44:40| >> :600:4854523:4854523:
[monks data]
Hertha Berlin logo
Bundesliga | Gameweek 27
Mar 19, 2022 at 2.30pm UK
Olympic Stadium
Hoffenheim logo

Hertha Berlin
3 - 0
Hoffenheim

Stark (39'), Belfodil (63'), Tousart (74')
Pekarik (50'), Dardai (90+2')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Akpoguma (55')

Preview: Hertha Berlin vs. Hoffenheim - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Bundesliga clash between Hertha Berlin and Hoffenheim, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

With the two sides embroiled in battles at opposite ends of the Bundesliga table, Hertha Berlin and Hoffenheim will do battle in the German capital on Saturday.

The hosts sit in the relegation zone having lost their last five league games, while their visitors sit sixth, level on points with fourth-placed RB Leipzig in the fight for Champions League qualification.


Match preview

Hoffenheim coach Sebastian Hoeness on March 6, 2022© Reuters

Prior to the winter break, Hertha Berlin looked to be in a strong position to maintain their Bundesliga status, as a win over Borussia Dortmund in December left them on 21 points from the opening 18 games.

However, Die Alte Dame have since experienced a major dip in form, failing to win any of their eight top-flight games since the turn of the year and picking up just two points in the process.

They head into the weekend having lost their last five matches, including a damning 2-1 defeat to basement side Greuther Furth alongside thrashings at the hands of RB Leipzig, Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt.

After their latest defeat, a 2-0 loss to fellow strugglers Borussia Monchengladbach, Tayfun Korkut was dismissed, and the capital outfit have now turned to Felix Magath, tasking the experienced coach with keeping them in the division.

Currently level on points with Stuttgart in the relegation playoff place and only two points adrift of automatic safety, the Old Lady do still have a good chance of avoiding the drop, and Magath will hope they can kickstart a turnaround with a victory in his first game at the helm.

Hoffenheim's Christoph Baumgartner celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on March 12, 2022© Reuters

That will be no easy task though, as Hoffenheim arrive looking to stretch their impressive run of form in the battle for a top-four finish.

With Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund charging away from the chasing pack at the top of the division, there are likely two Champions League spots left up for grabs in the Bundesliga, and Saturday's visitors have bounced back from a tough spell to keep themselves in a strong position in the battle for those places.

Sebastian Hoeness's side suffered three consecutive league defeats early in the new year, but they rebounded in impressive fashion, putting together a winning run as they firstly beat Arminia Bielefeld, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart before making it four on the bounce as Stefan Posch fired them to a 1-0 away win over FC Koln.

On the back of those triumphs, Die Kraichgauer faced the tough test of a home clash with league leaders Bayern Munich last time out, and they earned a commendable point following a 1-1 draw, with Christoph Baumgartner's opening goal cancelled out by Robert Lewandowski.

Having now earned 13 points from a possible 15 since mid-February, Hoeness's side have climbed back to sixth spot, now level on points with fifth-placed Freiburg and fourth-placed RB Leipzig, meaning they could jump into the top four with an away victory at the weekend.

Hertha Berlin Bundesliga form:
  • D
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • L

Hoffenheim Bundesliga form:
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • D



Team News

Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramaric celebrates scoring their first goal with Ihlas Bebou  on January 22, 2022© Reuters

We are yet to see how Magath will line up his Hertha Berlin side, but he may look to make several changes to Korkut's final starting XI to inspire a turn in form, with the likes of Suat Serdar and Dedryck Boyata vying for returns.

He will be unable to call upon experienced midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who remains out of action through injury, while first-choice goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow may not return in time to take his place back from Marcel Lotka.

Top scorer Stevan Jovetic also missed out last weekend, and Marco Richter could feature from the outset in his absence.

Hoffenheim's selection concerns worsened last time out, as Diadie Samassekou picked up a fifth yellow card of the season, ruling him out for the weekend, while Sebastian Rudy, Benjamin Hubner, Havard Nordtveit and Robert Skov remain confined to the treatment room.

Florian Grillitsch has been particularly impressive for Hoeness's side this season, and the Austrian international should again play in the middle of a back three with the license to roam further forward.

At the other end of the pitch, Andrej Kramaric will continue to be a key man in the attack, despite his struggles for goals by his own standards this term, while wing-back David Raum is also an important outlet, having provided eight league assists this season.

Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:
Lotka; Gechter, Stark, Boyata; Pekarik, Plattenhardt, Serdar, Tousart, Darida; Belfodil, Richter

Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Potsch, Grillitsch, Vogt; Kaderabek, Stiller, Geiger, Raum; Kramaric, Rutter, Baumgartner


SM words green background

We say: Hertha Berlin 1-3 Hoffenheim

While the hosts may be somewhat rejuvenated by the change in management, we do not see them boasting the quality to topple an in-form Hoffenheim side at the weekend.

Hoeness's men are playing with confidence, and, with their sights set on the top four, they should stretch their eye-catching run with an away win.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data



ID:480922:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect11438:

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Hoffenheim win with a probability of 57.03%. A win for Hertha Berlin had a probability of 22.26% and a draw had a probability of 20.7%.

The most likely scoreline for a Hoffenheim win was 1-2 with a probability of 9.63%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (7.62%) and 0-1 (7.19%). The likeliest Hertha Berlin win was 2-1 (5.74%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (9.08%). The actual scoreline of 3-0 was predicted with a 1.1% likelihood.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Hertha Berlin vs Hoffenheim

Hertha Berlin
14.8%
Draw
14.8%
Hoffenheim
70.4%
27
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on March 7, 2022
Read Next:
Saturday's Bundesliga predictions including Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1St Pauli26159248252354
2Holstein Kiel26154749341549
3Hamburger SV26135850371344
4Fortuna DusseldorfDusseldorf26127756342243
5Hannover261010647351240
6SC PaderbornSC Paderborn2611694043-339
7Karlsruher SCKarlsruher26108855411438
8Greuther Furth26115103738-138
9Hertha Berlin2610795043737
10Nuremberg26106103545-1036
11Elversberg26105113943-435
12Magdeburg2687113841-331
13Wehen WiesbadenWiesbaden2687113034-431
14Schalke 04Schalke2693144254-1230
15KaiserslauternKaiserslautern2685134251-929
16Hansa RostockHansa Rostock2684142441-1728
17Eintracht BraunschweigBraunschweig2683152539-1427
18VfL OsnabruckOsnabruck2639142453-2918


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!