- 1 Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund: seven goals scored, none conceded by BVB in two games
- 2 Hoffenheim: a defence caught out straight away
- 3 Borussia Dortmund: two clean sheets and Guirassy already making the difference
- 4 Bundesliga prediction Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund: seven goals scored, none conceded by BVB in two games 
Borussia Dortmund have played two competitive matches since the opening weekend and still have not conceded. Hoffenheim, by contrast, shipped three in their league opener.
The two clubs meet on Saturday 5 September at 15:30 at the PreZero Arena in Sinsheim for Bundesliga matchday two. TSG Hoffenheim already have plenty riding on it.
Hoffenheim come in off a 3-2 defeat away to Cologne, where they were punished by a Thijs Dallinga brace off the bench. A rough start for a side that has already booked its place in the Europa League this season.
Dortmund beat Hamburg 2-0 last week despite going down to ten men late on, then backed it up with a 5-0 win over HEBC Hamburg in the German Cup on Tuesday. The machine is up and running.
The two sides do, however, share one thing: both are chasing Europe and both finished last season fifth and second in the table. Hoffenheim just missed out in the race for the top four, while BVB ended up 16 points behind Bayern.
The bookmakers quite rightly make Dortmund favourites, with 2,23 on a Borussia win against 2,93 for TSG. There is a gap, but it is still a fairly modest one.
The PreZero Arena has often been a tricky place for the league’s heavy hitters, and Hoffenheim head into this one knowing they need a response. Kovac knows it too, with his side kicking off their Champions League campaign a few days later.
The most likely outcome is an open game between two teams that cannot really afford to sit back.
Hoffenheim: a defence caught out straight away 
Hoffenheim finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season, just a few places short of a Champions League spot. They are in the Europa League this year, which is still a fine return for a club of their size.
The league restart, though, was a mess with that 3-2 loss in Cologne. TSG led twice before folding in the final 15 minutes.
The week before that, Hoffenheim had brushed aside Erzgebirge Aue 4-0 away in the German Cup. The attacking talent is clearly there.
The real issue is at centre-back, where they could not handle Dallinga after he came off the bench in Cologne. Against Guirassy, that sort of fragility could be expensive.
Lemperle returns after serving a suspension on matchday one. Austrian midfielder Prass, though, is expected to stay sidelined.
Hoffenheim’s squad has changed plenty this summer, with Toure off to Newcastle, Erlein to Bayer Leverkusen, Behrens to Augsburg and Promel to Stuttgart. Toure, who scored five and laid on nine assists in last season’s Bundesliga, was one of the team’s key men.
Rebuilding balance after that sort of turnover takes time, and the opening weekend showed it. Sinsheim need points quickly before doubt starts creeping in.
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Borussia Dortmund: two clean sheets and Guirassy already making the difference 
Dortmund began their season with the German Super Cup, losing 1-2 at home to Bayern Munich. Another setback against their Bavarian rivals, who had already finished 16 points ahead of them in the league last season.
Niko Kovac’s men responded on Bundesliga opening day by beating Hamburg 2-0 in front of their own fans. They held on to the lead despite being a man down in the final 15 minutes.
On Tuesday, BVB kept it going by sweeping aside HEBC Hamburg 5-0 in the German Cup. Seven goals scored, none conceded across those two matches.
Serhou Guirassy remains the focal point of the attack, after scoring 17 goals in the Bundesliga last season. The Guinea striker was decisive again against Hamburg.
Alongside him, Beier, who scored nine times last season, gives Dortmund another route to goal. Their attacking depth is well beyond Hoffenheim’s.
Kovac does, though, have to manage without Nico Schlotterbeck, who picked up an injury on duty with Germany at the World Cup and is still recovering. Experienced midfielder Emre Can and young Kaba are also unavailable.
The summer window also saw Brandt leave for Ajax Amsterdam, Ozcan head to Besiktas and Adeyemi move to Barcelona, while Niklas Sule brought his career to an end. The squad is younger now, and so far it has not lost its edge.
Probable Hoffenheim XI: Baumann – Coufal, Kabak, Hajdari, Rots – De Cat, Avdullahu, Burger – Daghim, Hlozek, Wimmer.
Probable Borussia Dortmund XI: Kobel – Gadou, Anton, Reggiani – Svensson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Ryerson – Karetsas, Guirassy, Inaci.
Bundesliga prediction Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund
Our prediction: Borussia Dortmund win (odds 2.2 – +120 – 6/5)
Dortmund have come through their last two competitive games without conceding, scoring seven along the way. Hoffenheim, meanwhile, let in three at Cologne.
Guirassy scored 17 Bundesliga goals last season and has already made an impact against Hamburg. Against a TSG back line caught out by a substitute in Cologne, he should find room.
BVB head into the Champions League in a few days and have no reason to take their foot off the gas before that. The call is Dortmund to win at the PreZero Arena.
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