Hoffenheim vs Borussia Monchengladbach Preview: Team News & Prediction
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New management hasn’t quite brought about a new Hoffenheim in the last month as the strugglers now take on frustratingly mid-table Borussia Monchengladbach this weekend.
Kick-off date/time: Saturday 21st December, 2024: UK – 2:30pm / US ET – 9:30am / US PT – 6:30am
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – Some matches will be televised on ESPN channels so it is worth checking their schedules
How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – ESPN+
Hoffenheim Preview: Ilzer’s start
Over the November international break, Hoffenheim took the decision to sack American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo and replace him with Christian Ilzer, who won the Austrian Bundesliga with Sturm Graz last season but things have started slowly in Baden-Wurttemberg.
They begin this weekend’s round of fixtures sitting just outside of the bottom three and the danger zone with too many draws in his early stint. One of those draws came last weekend as they did manage an impressive last gasp equaliser away at Borussia Dortmund.
Borussia Monchengladbach Preview: Pressure on Seoane
Former Bayer Leverkusen and Young Boys coach Gerardo Seoane is one of the more attacking coaches in European football and that was the case with Borussia Monchengladbach last season but results have been underwhelming and that has continued into this season, too.
They sit in the bottom-half of the 2024/25 Bundesliga table but do come into this one on the back of a 4-1 hammering of struggling Holstein Kiel last weekend thanks to a brace from Alassane Plea as well as goals from Tim Kleindienst and Robin Hack.
Hoffenheim Team News: Key absentees
Hoffenheim have an abundance of injury issues to key players across the park ahead of this weekend with the likes of Ozan Kabak and Grischa Promel sidelined alongside the likes of attacking duo Ihlas Bebou and Marius Bulter.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Baumann; Gendrey, Chaves, Nsoki, Prass; Bischof, Stach, Samassekou, Kramaric; Moerstedt, Hlozek
Unavailable: Kabak (Injured), Promel (Injured), Tohumcu (Injured), Grillitsch (Injured), Bebou (Injured), Bulter (Injured)
Questionable:
Borussia Monchengladbach Team News: A few injuries
Borussia Monchengladbach are dealing with a few key injury concerns for this one as they make the trip to Hoffenheim. Experienced midfielder Florian Neuhaus is dealing with a thigh issue and is expected to absent alongside the likes of Nathan Ngoumou and Yvandro Borges Sanches.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Nicolas; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Ullrich; Reitz, Sander; Honorat, Plea, Hack; Kleindienst
Unavailable: Olschowsky (Injured), Walde (Injured), Neuhaus (Injured), Ngoumou (Injured), Yvandro Borges Sanches (Injured)
Questionable:
Hoffenheim vs Borussia Monchengladbach Prediction
Hoffenheim have struggled for consistency throughout the campaign and that has continued into the early part of the Christian Ilzer reign. They are winless in six matches across all competitions since winning Ilzer’s first game in charge against RB Leipzig in November. They now face a Borussia Monchengladbach side that have begun to slightly improve, albeit they did benefit from a game against a very weak Holstein Kiel side. However, even with that mitigating factor, a double chance bet in favour of the away team would still appear a good value bet for this one.
Hoffenheim vs Borussia Monchengladbach Tip: Double chance – Borussia Monchengladbach to win or draw
