Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund: Team News and Match Preview
Borussia Dortmund roll into Sinsheim on Saturday afternoon looking every inch a side ready to climb, while Hoffenheim are still trying to find their footing in the new Bundesliga season.
Kick-off at the SNP Arena is set for 5 September 2026 at 14:30 – and both the table and recent form paint a clear picture of who carries the momentum.
Where the Teams Stand
Hoffenheim sit 14th in the Bundesliga, a position that reflects an uneven start and a defence that has leaked goals. Dortmund arrive in fifth, already moving with the rhythm of a side that expects to be in the mix near the top.
The contrast is sharp. Hoffenheim: one win in five. Dortmund: three victories from their last five outings and goals flowing freely.
Hoffenheim: Searching for Stability
Christian Ilzer has one confirmed absentee: Alexander Prass is ruled out. The rest of his squad is available, with no suspensions listed for the hosts.
The projected XI leans on experience and industry. Oliver Baumann is expected to start in goal, with a back line built around Ozan Kabak, Albian Hajdari and Bernardo, and Vladimir Coufal offering width and bite from the flank.
In midfield, Bambase Conte, Wouter Burger, Adam Daghim and Leon Avdullahu are set to carry the workload between the lines, charged with screening a vulnerable defence and supplying the front two. Up top, Adam Hlozek and Tim Lemperle are tipped to lead the attack, a pairing that needs to turn half-chances into something more.
The numbers tell Ilzer’s problem in blunt terms. Across their last five matches, Hoffenheim have:
- 1 win, 1 draw, 3 defeats
- 7 goals scored, 10 conceded
- 0 clean sheets
Their only convincing performance in that run came in the DFB-Pokal, a 4-0 win over Erzgebirge Aue. Outside that, the picture is messy: a 3-2 Bundesliga defeat to Cologne on August 29, and back-to-back friendlies against Tottenham that produced a draw and a loss. The attack can hurt teams. The defence keeps inviting trouble.
Dortmund: Goals Flowing, Injuries Mounting
Dortmund arrive with confidence but not without problems. Niko Kovac is missing several key figures.
Nico Schlotterbeck, Emre Can, Giannis Konstantelias, Justin Lerma and Mussa Kaba are all sidelined through injury. Samuele Inacio is suspended. The spine of the team has taken a hit, but the squad depth is being asked to answer.
Gregor Kobel is set to start in goal. In front of him, Kovac’s projected defence features Joane Gadou, Daniel Svensson and Waldemar Anton, with Julian Ryerson adding energy and aggression from full-back.
Marcel Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha are expected to anchor midfield, a pairing that mixes control, range of passing and a willingness to break lines. Ahead of them, Konstantinos Karetsas, Jobe Bellingham and Maximilian Beier should operate behind Serhou Guirassy, who leads the line as the focal point of the attack.
Form backs Dortmund’s ambition. Across their last five games, they have:
- 3 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat
- 12 goals scored, 7 conceded
The most recent outing was a statement: a 5-0 DFB-Pokal demolition of HEBC Hamburg on September 1. Before that came a 2-0 Bundesliga win over Hamburger SV on August 29, a clean, controlled performance to open their league campaign.
The only blemish in that stretch is a 2-1 Super Cup defeat to Bayern Munich, wedged between the Hamburg win and a 2-2 pre-season draw with Roma. Dortmund have shown they can score against anyone. The question is whether this patched-up back line can stay solid when tested.
Head-to-Head: No Fear in Sinsheim
History between these two sides refuses to tilt decisively either way.
Their most recent meeting, on April 18, 2026, went Hoffenheim’s way. A 2-1 home win in the Bundesliga at the SNP Arena reminded Dortmund that Sinsheim is no easy trip.
Across the last five head-to-head clashes:
- Dortmund wins: 2
- Hoffenheim wins: 2
- Draws: 1
- Total goals: 14
Dortmund’s last home success in this fixture came in December 2025, a 2-0 victory at Signal Iduna Park. On the road, though, the margins have been thin, the games open, and mistakes often punished.
The Stakes
For Hoffenheim, this is more than just a glamour home fixture. It’s a chance to halt a slide, to prove that the defensive frailties of August do not define their autumn. A result here would jolt their season into life and drag them away from the early-season danger zone.
For Dortmund, it’s about rhythm and ruthlessness. Fifth place is a starting point, not a destination. With Bayern already setting a familiar pace and the chasing pack jostling behind, can Kovac’s side turn their current form into a sustained surge – even with key players missing?
