Preview: Hoffenheim vs. Wolfsburg - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoffenheim instrumentality to enactment astatine PreZero Arena connected Saturday erstwhile they big Wolfsburg successful their 16th Bundesliga crippled of the season, wherever they volition anticipation to region themselves from the relegation zone.

Die Kraichgauer are 4th past successful 15th spot with 14 points and emerged from the wintertime beak conscionable 4 points supra the 16th-placed relegation playoff spot aft they lost 2-1 against Borussia Monchengladbach connected December 21, whereas Wolfsburg are 11th with 21 points and were beaten 3-1 by Borussia Dortmund connected December 22.

Match preview

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Hoffenheim fans tin beryllium forgiven for wondering however their squad failed to triumph past clip out, particularly arsenic they lone faced 1 large accidental portion creating 5 of their own, arsenic good arsenic having produced astir 3.5 xG.

Boss Christian Ilzer was not captious of his team's showing but did item the value of finishing chances successful beforehand of goal, saying: "Efficiency is simply a large virtuousness successful football. You could spot that our opponents are successful a flow. Our show was perfectly fine.

"We got a amended grip connected the crippled successful the 2nd fractional and scored the extremity for 1-1 during a spell of unit but didn't negociate to capitalise connected that momentum. We're often having to pursuit the crippled astatine the moment. The show and the effect bash not lucifer today."

Ilzer's assignment arsenic manager successful precocious November has not yielded improved results, arsenic portion helium won his archetypal crippled successful complaint against RB Leipzig connected November 23, helium has since overseen 4 losses and 3 draws.

Die Kraichgauer person besides lone scored 3 goals successful their past 7 games, conceding 12 times successful that period.

The hosts person failed to triumph their 3 astir caller matches astatine home, and though they person lone been beaten doubly successful their past 9 fixtures astatine PreZero Arena, they person drawn three, mislaid 2 and won conscionable 1 of their past six astatine home.

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Meanwhile, Wolfsburg tin person nary complaints with their decision astatine the hands of Dortmund, particularly arsenic they faced 5 large chances successful the archetypal fractional and trailed 3-0 by the half-time interval.

Head manager Ralph Hasenhuttl bemoaned his players' deficiency of antiaircraft subject successful caller weeks successful the aftermath of the loss, telling reporters: "We weren't bully capable successful the archetypal fractional and invited the opponents to people goals. There's nary coming backmost from that successful the 2nd half. It's frustrating that we defended truthful severely for those 5 minutes.

"We request to go much coagulated defensively again, we've conceded excessively galore goals successful the past fewer games and we can't ever travel backmost from that."

The Wolves person conceded 9 goals successful their past 3 games, whereas they had lone conceded 3 times successful their erstwhile 7 outings.

It should beryllium noted that portion Hasenhuttl's squad person mislaid their 2 astir caller fixtures, they did triumph successful their anterior 5 and bushed Hoffenheim 3-0 connected December 4 successful the DFB-Pokal.

The visitors' signifier connected the roadworthy has besides been beardown considering they person won five, drawn 1 and mislaid conscionable 2 of their past 8 distant games.

Hoffenheim Bundesliga form:

Hoffenheim signifier (all competitions):

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:

Wolfsburg signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Hoffenheim are inactive successful the midst of an wounded situation contempt the wintertime interruption pausing their season, and they volition person to header without defenders Arthur Chaves, Christopher Lenz, Ozan Kabak and Stanley N'Soki.

Valentin Gendrey, Kevin Akpoguma, Robin Hranac and Alexander Prass are apt to commencement successful defence successful beforehand of goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.

Midfielders Finn Becker, Grischa Promel and Umut Tohumcu are besides acceptable to miss out, truthful expect Anton Stach to beryllium partnered by Diadie Samassekou successful a treble pivot.

Striker Gift Orban could beryllium supported by Tom Bischof, Adam Hlozek and Andrej Kramaric considering forwards Ihlas Bebou and Marius Bulter volition not beryllium successful the matchday squad.

As for the visitors, they volition beryllium without defender Rogerio and goalkeeper Niklas Klinger, arsenic good arsenic midfielders Aster Vranckx and Kevin Paredes.

Wolfsburg could commencement a backline consisting of Kilian Fischer, Denis Vavro, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Joakim Maehle, portion goalkeeper Kamil Grabara is astir definite to beryllium selected betwixt the posts.

Striker Bartosz Bialek and attacking midfielder Lovro Majer volition not beryllium disposable for selection, though winger Ridle Baku could marque the XI should helium retrieve from an unwellness successful time.

Hoffenheim imaginable starting lineup:
Baumann; Gendrey, Akpoguma, Hranac, Prass; Stach, Samassekou; Bischof, Hlozek, Kramaric; Orban

We say: Hoffenheim 1-2 Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg's caller antiaircraft grounds should springiness Hoffenheim assurance that they tin astatine slightest forestall the visitors from keeping a cleanable sheet.

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