By Ian King
The race to the underside
It’s Disaster Membership vs Disaster Membership within the Europa League. For each Hoffenheim and Tottenham Hotspur, the 2024/25 season has been a little bit of a catastrophe. Certainly, Spurs supporters searching for solace from all of it can take some from the truth that Hoffenheim have had simply as unhealthy a time of issues as they’ve.
Spurs have gained one in ten within the Premier League and have did not win their final three on this event, too. Sarcastically, Hoffenheim’s 3-1 win at Holstein Kiel on Saturday ended a run of 1 win in ten Bundesliga video games for them. Each are in fifteenth place of their respective divisions, however as a result of there are two fewer groups within the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim are just one above the relegation locations.
Historical past
These two have by no means met earlier than. That is Hoffenheim’s fifth season in Europe, they usually’ve met English golf equipment twice, each occasions within the Champions League. They’ve misplaced all 4 matches, to Liverpool within the qualifiers in 2017/18 and to Manchester Metropolis within the group stage the next season.
Spurs first performed German opposition in two successive rounds of their run to the 1974 UEFA Cup remaining, beating FC Köln within the quarter-finals and Lokomotiv Leipzig within the semi-finals earlier than shedding to Feyenoord within the remaining. However extra just lately the information hasn’t been so good. They’ve misplaced their final 4 matches in opposition to German opposition, scoring three and conceding 14 (together with seven in a single match) to RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
Key gamers
The important thing place for Spurs for this match could also be in objective. Antonín Kinský will not be registered for this competitors, so it’s seemingly that Brandon Austin will make his second begin for the membership in that place. Hoffenheim are in an identical place, however Adam Hlozek scored two at Holstein Kiel on Saturday to make coping with absentees a bit simpler for head coach Christian Ilzer.
Staff Information
The Spurs damage record is so long as ever, although Ben Davies has now returned, which ought to permit Archie Grey to maneuver again into midfield. For Hoffenheim, Reward Orban arrived from Lyon for €9m earlier this month however is ineligible for this fixture. In any other case, their damage record is so long as Tottenham’s is in the meanwhile, and that’s saying one thing.
Prediction
This match could all come right down to being a matter of priorities. Spurs have flatlined within the League however could possibly be prioritising cups and have an eight-point buffer from the relegation locations. Hoffenheim haven’t any such insulation. Certainly, their win final weekend lifted them out of the Bundesliga relegation locations. With two threadbare squads of gamers each wanting over their shoulders at relegation, to which of those two will it matter extra? I’ll go for Spurs, by 2-1, although that is within the full data that seeing the place their subsequent win is coming from has been getting more and more tough of late.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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