Hoffenheim will be aiming to become the first team to beat Bayer Leverkusen this season when they host Xabi Alonso's side in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The league leaders have won 13 of their 14 games in all competitions, and they will be hoping to extend their lead at the top of the table with another victory.
Match preview
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Having battled against relegation for almost the entirety of last season, Hoffenheim have performed above expectations this time around, with Pellegrino Matarazzo's side winning six of their opening nine games.
The most recent of those victories came with an impressive 3-2 win away to Stuttgart last weekend, with early strikes from Grischa Promel and Wout Weghorst setting the visitors up nicely. Stuttgart were missing their top goalscorer Serhou Guirassy through injury, but they still carried significant attacking threat when fighting back on two occasions, but Matarazzo's side held on for a crucial win.
For the sixth successive time when the two sides have met, Borussia Dortmund prevailed against Die Kraichgauer in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday, with Marco Reus scoring against Hoffenheim for the second time this season. Substitute Ozan Kabak saw red late on for the visitors, compounding their recent woes in Germany's domestic cup, as it is now nine seasons since they have even reached the quarter-finals.
However, Matarazzo and his players will be more focused on their league form in any case, with qualifying for Europe appearing to be a realistic aim given that they find themselves in sixth spot ahead of hosting Leverkusen. With three defeats from four home games this season, though, they are likely to require a massively improved performance to get the better of their forthcoming opponents.
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After all, only the reigning champions Bayern Munich have prevented Leverkusen from winning every match on all three of their fronts this season, with Alonso's side clearly performing at a title-challenging standard.
In truth, Die Werkself have been a slick outfit almost from the moment that the Spaniard arrived as manager in October 2022, having sat in the relegation zone prior to his appointment. They were professional rather than exceptional when dispatching Freiburg at BayArena last Sunday, with goals from Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann either side of half time proving enough to keep their opponents at arm's length despite Manuel Gulde pulling one back late on.
Alonso's side survived a scare away to SV Sandhausen in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday, with the third division side pegging Leverkusen back on two occasions. With the scoreline still delicately poised at 2-2 heading into the last five minutes of regular time, Adam Hlozek broke the hosts' hearts, before Amine Adli's late brace added serious gloss to his side's victory.
As such, after several near misses in different competitions over the last few decades, Leverkusen's fans are dreaming of a glorious treble with their team retaining a 100% record in the Europa League group stage too. They clearly possess enough confidence and quality to go deep into both cup competitions.
However, Alonso will be keeping his players' collective feet firmly on the ground, especially with a tricky trip to come at Hoffenheim this weekend. Should they continue their winning streak, though, they may extend their lead at the top of the table given that second-placed Bayern travel to Dortmund for Der Klassiker later on Saturday.
Team News
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Hoffenheim will remain without Dennis Geiger and Marco John due to long-term injuries, while Pavel Kaderabek and Florian Grillitsch are both doubtful after suffering shin and hip issues respectively against Stuttgart last weekend.
Ihlas Bebou and Anton Stach replaced them against Dortmund in midweek and would likely do so from the outset against Leverkusen should they be ruled out as expected, but Robert Skov and Andrej Kramaric have both recovered from their recent injuries and could be thrown straight into the hosts' starting XI.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, will travel without Arthur due to an ongoing knee issue, but otherwise Alonso appears to have a fully-fit squad at his disposal.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder made eight changes for his side's successful trip to Sandhausen in the cup on Wednesday, with the likes of Alex Grimaldo, Jeremie Frimpong and Victor Boniface all almost certain to return to the visitors' starting lineup for more important league matters.
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Kabak, Brooks, Vogt; Bebou, Promel, Stach, Skov; Kramaric; Weghorst, Beier
Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba; Frimpong, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Wirtz; Boniface
We say: Hoffenheim 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen
Hoffenheim's chances of winning will significantly increase should Kramaric return to start as expected, but they have actually performed better on the road this season, with 15 of their 18 points coming on their travels.
Likewise, Leverkusen have gained 10 points from four away games, and they will be confident of making it six wins in a row in the Bundesliga as they attempt to extend their lead at the summit. We expect them to do so in what should be an entertaining encounter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Brett Curtis
