TSG Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen 30/03/19

30 March 2019

The Champions League promotion battlers and the Europa League contenders go head-to-head as TSG Hoffenheim welcome Bayer Leverkusen at the Wirsol Rhein-Neckar Arena.

A disappointing 1-1 road draw with Stuttgart last time out was the fifth time in Die Kraichgauer’s last seven Bundesliga outings that they’ve failed to secure a triumph (W2, D4, L1). Problems with consistency and immense difficulties at the back have seen the hosts failed to preserve a clean slate in 18 of their last 20 games across all competitions. Although Hoffenheim scored 2+ match goals in both of their previous BL home clashes, Julian Nagelsmann can’t be happy with the fact his players have struggled to bag over 1.5 match goals in five straight home outings before. Interestingly, although just three German teams scored more goals than Hoffenheim (50) this term, Nagelsmann’s men have netted 2+ match goals only five times in 13 BL home fixtures.

On the other hand, the visitors have endured mixed fortunes before the international break, picking up three wins in their last five BL games (W3, L2). Surprisingly, no team for the upper half of the table has suffered more defeats than the Company XI (10) this campaign, with five of those failures arriving away from home. But, Peter Bosz’s players have secured four victories on five of their previous BL road trips (W4, L1), scoring over 1.5 goals per match in three of those wins. Bosz is still unable to solve Leverkusen’s defensive problems that have seen them concede at least one goal in nine of their last 11 away clashes across all competitions.