TSG Hoffenheim, like Wolfsburg and Gladbach, is in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League this season, particularly with the Bundesliga offering five qualifying spots.
Hoffenheim has consistently finished in the top half of the table and is aiming to return to the Champions League, a competition they last played in during the 2018-19 season.
Their 2024-25 Bundesliga campaign started on a positive note with a 3-2 win over Holstein Kiel, but they stumbled on the second matchday, losing 3-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt. Currently, they sit 11th in the standings.
Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, has had an inconsistent start to their season. Despite securing their first-ever Bundesliga title under Xabi Alonso last year, their performances in the 2024-25 season have been uneven.
After winning the German Super Cup with a 3-2 victory over Stuttgart, they narrowly beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 in their opening league match and scraped past fourth-division side Jena 1-0 in the DFB Pokal. However, a 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig marked their first Bundesliga defeat in over a year, leaving them in 8th place.
Hoffenheim had a productive transfer window, parting ways with Max Beier, who scored 16 goals last season and moved to Borussia Dortmund. Other notable departures included Weghorst (7 goals), Brooks (Hertha Berlin), and Skov (on a free transfer).
To strengthen their squad, Hoffenheim invested approximately €60 million, bringing in Czech striker Hlozek from Bayer Leverkusen, Valentin Gendrey from Lecce, striker Tabakovic from Hertha Berlin, and defender Hranac from Viktoria Plzen.
Veteran forward Andrej Kramaric, despite being 33 years old, remains in excellent form, having scored all four of Hoffenheim’s goals this season. However, the team is still dealing with several injuries to players like Bebou, Kabak, Jurasek, Tohumcu, Bischof, and Becker.
Bayer Leverkusen has kept a largely unchanged lineup from last season under Xabi Alonso.
Though Borja Iglesias (Betis) was not retained, and Josip Stanisic (Bayern) is a key absence, the team has been bolstered by the arrivals of winger Martin Terrier (Rennes), midfielder Aleix Garcia (Girona), and young defender Belocian (Rennes). Midfielder Exequiel Palacios is out with a knee injury, but goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký has returned after an illness.
Midfielder Robert Andrich missed the match against Leipzig, likely due to fitness concerns, while rising star Florian Wirtz has already registered two goals and one assist this season.
Prediction
Hoffenheim put five goals past Bayer Leverkusen in their last Bundesliga meeting, and five of their previous six encounters have seen over 2.5 goals.
Similarly, four of Bayer Leverkusen’s last six matches in the league have featured over 2.5 goals. Based on these patterns, another high-scoring game is anticipated.
Prediction: Hoffenheim 3 : 2 Bayer Leverkusen
