Köln vs. Hoffenheim preview: Can TSG win three in a row?
Hoffenheim travel to the RheinEnergieStadion on Matchday 4 against a Köln side who are still searching for something to get their season going.
Köln
The Billy Goats disappointingly left Frankfurt with only one point on Matchday 3, as they gave away a late winner. This is the only point Köln have claimed so far in what’s been a stale start to their campaign.
However, Davie Selke looks to be back to full fitness and should reclaim his spot in the starting eleven. All eyes will be on the trio of Maina, Kainz, and Waldschmidt to create some sort of magic and give Köln fans something to cling onto.
Steffen Baumgart said, “Hoffenheim have always had a high level of quality in their squad. In the last few years, they haven't done themselves justice. Their goals aren't of interest to us. We know what to expect, we want to make sure the three points stay here.”
Team News
Eric Martel and Mathias Olesen are now out for several weeks. Jan Thielmann, Florian Dietz, and Mark Uth will all likely remain sidelined with injuries.
Hoffenheim
After losing to start the season against Freiburg, Hoffenheim have come back to take all six points against Heidenheim and impressively, Wolfsburg. It will be interesting to see if Pellegrino Matarazzo continues to use striker Ihlas Bebou in a deeper position on the right, but Hoffenheim are having no trouble scoring goals (six in two games).
It’s unclear whether Maximilian Beier will play, as this could be a huge loss on Matchday 4 for a youngster who already has two goals and an assist. Florian Grillitsch is back and has quickly resettled into the midfield, while newcomer Attila Szalai is turning into their leader in defense.
In his presser, Matarazzo stated, "Köln have not had an easy start. We all know Steffen Baumgart, he will get his players back on track. We are ready for a heated and intense match."
Team News
Marco John, Dennis Geiger, and Bambase Conte won’t play, while Beier is questionable. Robert Skov is expected to play even with some lingering injury concerns.