Hoffenheim vs. Gladbach preview: Which club can turn their season around?
Gladbach are off to the Rhein-Neckar-Arena where they will play another version of themselves: A struggling club that should be near the top of the table competing for Europe.
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Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim are stuck in the mud at the moment and are steadily dropping down the league table. Andre Breitenreiter’s seat is warming and if it wasn’t for Andrej Kramaric’s late midweek heroics, TSG would’ve suffered a second consecutive defeat to lowly Stuttgart.
They’re dealing with a lengthy injury list, but Hoffenheim have made some interesting acquisitions in the winter window. Kasper Dolberg stands out, but he’s yet to make an impact following the loss of Georginio Rutter.
Breitenreiter shared, “We saved the point on Tuesday. The mood in the team is still good, we believed we’d get the point in Stuttgart until the end. That's why I believe that with this morale we can be very confident that we will win the game tomorrow.”
Team News
American defender John Brooks has returned to the Bundesliga and signed with Hoffenheim until 2024. He could immediately slot into center defense from the off.
Kevin Akpoguma is suspended, while Jacob Bruun Larsen, Grischa Prömel, Kevin Vogt, Robert Skov and Angelo Stiller are out. Ihlas Bebou is also questionable.
Gladbach
Daniel Farke is also skating on thin ice with a Gladbach team that are really starting to struggle. Despite Marcus Thuram’s return to the squad midweek, Gladbach still lost another game to drop further away from the European places.
They’ve only claimed seven points from their last eight league games and look like a side lacking confidence. Captain Lars Stindl returns from suspension, but Gladbach continue to give away too many unnecessary goals which is costing them dearly.
Sporting Director Roland Virkus shared, “Starting the year with two defeats hurts, no question. Our aim going into the season was to finish in the top half, however. We were always realistic about our situation."
Team News
Christoph Kramer and Jonas Hofmann are both questionable for the match.