Runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen welcome European contenders Hoffenheim to the BayArena on Saturday afternoon.
Xabi Alonso's men will look to move one step closer to securing the club's first-ever Bundesliga title, with the 'Eternal Bridesmaids' now just five wins from ridding themselves of that moniker.
Match preview
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A 3-2 win over a talented Freiburg side before the international break extended Leverkusen's record-breaking unbeaten run this season to 38 matches.
It also kept the lead over Bayern Munich at 10 points, as Leverkusen have moved out to odds of 1/33 to take the title - no team has ever failed to do so with such a margin at this stage of a Bundesliga season.
That win last time out also took Leverkusen's tally to 22 for the season - a new club record - and also bettered the number Bayern managed in winning the title last season (21).
As expected, Pep Guardiola's Bayern side from 2013-14 remain the only team to have won more points after 26 games (74) compared to Leverkusen's 70.
Bayern in 2012-13 and 2013-14 are the only German outfits to hit 90 points in a top-flight season, and it is still within reach that Leverkusen could set the all-time points record.
To beat the 12-13 side's haul of 91 points, seven wins and a draw would be required from their final eight games, but every Leverkusen supporter will be focusing solely on them getting over the line for the title first.
Ending some recent underwhelming form at home to Hoffenheim would be a start, because despite winning 18 of their 31 Bundesliga matches against them, their upcoming visitors have a good record here.
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In Hoffenheim's last seven visits to the BayArena, they have managed two 3-0 wins and a 4-1 success, but recreating another three-goal victory here would be a huge shock.
That is more to do with the form of Leverkusen though, because Hoffenheim themselves have been in relatively good form, despite two straight defeats heading into the break.
Pellegrino Matarazzo's men remain just two points off seventh though, a position that will earn European qualification if Leverkusen win the DFB-Pokal.
While it has often been in Hoffenheim's DNA since becoming a Bundesliga club that they should prioritise attack over defence, that is what is preventing them from continuing their charge up the table at present.
Their two recent defeats both saw them concede three goals, and it is now 22 games since they last managed a clean sheet - far and away the longest streak in the division.
Team News
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Exequiel Palacios will not feature after missing Argentina duty last week, joining Arthur on the absentee list for Leverkusen.
Attacking duo Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann are also facing a race to be fit for club duty after being absent from the Nigeria and Germany squads respectively.
Alex Grimaldo is set to feature though, and he scored twice in the reverse fixture back in November, with the left wing-back now into double figures for goals this season.
John Brooks's red card shortly after scoring the opening goal for Hoffenheim in their defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt means he will miss another game through suspension here.
Dennis Geiger and Grischa Promel are both likely to return in midfield and Ozan Kabak is back from a ban, but Mergim Berisha and Marco John are both out with serious knee injuries.
Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Stanisic, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Adli, Schick, Wirtz
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Kabak, Akpoguma, Nsoki; Kaderabek, Stach, Tohumcu, Jurasek; Kramaric, Bebou, Beier
We say: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Hoffenheim
Still, with the ninth month of the season approaching, nobody has been able to get the better of Leverkusen, and in match number 39 of the season, another win is expected from the champions-elect.
With just one win in their last nine away, and 22 games without a clean sheet, Hoffenheim are unlikely to end Leverkusen's excellent run, but they may give the league leaders a scare or two at the back.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
