Hoffenheim vs Union Berlin prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2025-02-07 14:30.
[p]Hoffenheim have won just two league games (D3, L5) since Christian Ilzer took charge in mid-November, with his nine-point tally the third-worst return of any of the clubâs head coaches in the German top-flight to date after ten games at the helm. The blame doesnât solely lie with him however, with Die Kraichgauerâs historic issues laid bare by a run of 30 home league games without a clean sheet dating back to April 2023![/p]
[p]Failure to record a shutout at the PreZero Arena on Saturday would equal Stuttgartâs unwanted Bundesliga record of 31 home games without a clean sheet, which would be a blow with Hoffenheim already hovering ominously in the spot directly above the relegation zone. A four-point buffer means that they canât be dragged into the bottom three this weekend, but there is still very real cause for concern over the clubâs top-flight status.[/p]
[p]Itâs a similar tale for this weekendâs opponents Union Berlin, who also changed their head coach mid-season with little to show for the decision so far. Arriving during Germanyâs winter break, new boss Steffen Baumgart has won just one of his first five games (D1, L3), and Union remain just three points better off than Hoffenheim pre-round. No head coach has had a weaker five-game start to life in the Bundesliga with the Iron Ones.[/p]
[p]Like Hoffenheim, Unionâs problems have been deep-rooted for some time, with their dismal run now sitting at just one win in 13 Bundesliga games (D4, L8). During that sequence, no other team in the division has scored fewer than their eight goals, with only fellow relegation battlers Heidenheim taking fewer than their seven points. Doing the double over Hoffenheim this weekend would certainly relieve some of the relegation worries with this fixture looking like a real âsix-pointerâ. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: January signing Gift Orban has come off the bench to score for Hoffenheim in both of their last two league games within minutes of stepping on the pitch. Leopold Querfeld returns from suspension for Union, with all five of his yellow cards so far this season received in the second half.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Union have lost all of their last six away league games, conceding 2+ goals in each of the most recent four.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Ben Olawumi[/i][/p]