Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction
By Max Parsons
Borussia Dortmund travel to Hoffenheim on Saturday afternoon, desperate to bounce back from a shock DFB-Pokal exit.
Marco Rose's men were dumped out of the cup by second tier St. Pauli, losing 2-1 after having thrashed Bundesliga high-flyers Freiburg 5-1 just four days earlier - go figure. BVB currently sit second in the table and, with three victories in their last four, are doing a good job of keeping some sort of pressure on leaders Bayern Munich.
They face a tough test this weekend, travelling to fourth-placed Hoffenheim who, before their recent defeat to Union Berlin, had enjoyed a run of five wins and two draws in seven Bundesliga outings. That defeat seems to have given them a wobble, however, as they head into this weekend's clash fresh from a 4-1 DFB-Pokal trouncing at the hands of Freiburg in midweek.
Here's 90min's preview of this one.
How to watch Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund on TV
When is kick off? Saturday 22 January, 14:30 (GMT)
Where is it being played? PreZero Arena, Sinsheim
What TV channel is it on? Not televised in the UK, ESPN+ (US)
Highlights? Bundesliga YouTube channel, Sky Sports Football YouTube channel
Hoffenheim team news
The hosts' list of absentees remains lengthy as Dortmund visit. Robert Skov, Ermin Bicakcic, Mijat Gacinovic and Pavel Kaderabek will all miss out through injury.
Elsewhere, about of flu will keep Kasim Adams out of action while Diadie Samassekou remains unavailable as he represents Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Borussia Dortmund team news
Rose will likely be without Emre Can and Mahmoud Dahoud through injury, likely resulting in Axel Witsel's inclusion in midfield alongside Jude Bellingham and Julian Brandt.
Goalkeepers Roman Burki and Luca Unbehaun are also sidelined with injury, joining Mateu Morey, Marcel Schmelzer and Gio Reyna on the treatment table.
There was some good news in BVB's cup exit in midweek, with Thomas Meunier and Youssoufa Moukoko both returning from spells out of action. Rose, however, will likely name an unchanged lineup from the one that thrashed Freiburg 5-1 in their previous Bundesliga fixture.
Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund head to head record
Since the hosts' debut in professional football (under the guidance of Ralf Rangnick) in 2007, these two sides have met 29 times with BVB winning 12 and Hoffenheim winning seven - there have been ten draws.
Now an established top flight side, Hoffenheim have managed to contain Dortmund to just two wins in their previous eight encounters, while winning three themselves.
Dortmund have enjoyed this fixture of late, however, remaining unbeaten in three - two of which they've won.
Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund prediction
Given the proximity of both teams in the table, you could expect a fairly tight affair in this one.
There are, however, nine points between the two sides, with Dortmund shouldering the Bundesliga's burden of providing at least a minor push to frighten Bayern Munich as they skip to the title.
As it stands, Rose's men are engaged in what appears to be a two-horse race for the Meisterschale and, while they need to bounce back from a disastrous Cup result in midweek, they should come through this one to earn victory.
Prediction: Hoffenheim 1-2 Borussia Dortmund