Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund: Team News and Match Preview

The Bundesliga rolls back into Sinsheim on 5 September, with Hoffenheim trying to steady themselves and Borussia Dortmund already chasing the early pace. Kick-off at the PreZero Arena is set for 14:30, and both sides arrive with very different rhythms – and very different problems.

Hoffenheim thin but settled

Christian Ilzer’s selection puzzle is relatively simple. Alexander Prass is the only confirmed absentee, leaving the Hoffenheim coach with a largely intact squad but a team still searching for defensive stability.

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 experience on the flank. In front of them, Bambase Conte, Wouter Burger, Adam Daghim and Leon Avdullahu are set to form a hard‑running midfield unit.

Up front, Adam Hlozek and Tim Lemperle are tipped to lead the line, a pairing that needs to turn promise into points after a stuttering run. There are no suspensions on the home side’s list, so any late tweaks will come down to Ilzer’s tactical calls rather than forced changes.

Dortmund arrive wounded but dangerous

Niko Kovac, by contrast, travels without several pillars of his Dortmund squad. Nico Schlotterbeck, Emre Can, Giannis Konstantelias, Justin Lerma and Mussa Kaba are all sidelined through injury, while Samuele Inacio serves a suspension. It’s a significant chunk of leadership and balance removed from the spine of the team.

Even so, the projected XI still oozes quality. Gregor Kobel should start in goal, shielded by Joane Gadou, Daniel Svensson and Waldemar Anton, with Julian Ryerson expected to complete a back four that will be asked to both build and bully.

Marcel Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha are set to run central midfield, the pair responsible for dictating tempo and releasing a lively attacking band. Ahead of them, Konstantinos Karetsas, Jobe Bellingham and Maximilian Beier are lined up to support Serhou Guirassy, Dortmund’s focal point and main goal threat.

On paper, it’s enough firepower to trouble anyone. The question is whether the makeshift spine can hold when tested.

Form lines heading in opposite directions

Hoffenheim’s recent form tells a story of fragility. One win, one draw and three defeats in their last five matches, with seven goals scored and ten conceded. They have not managed a single clean sheet in that stretch.

Their last outing, a 3-2 loss to Cologne on 29 August, underlined the problem: they can score, but they cannot shut the door. The only bright spark in that run was a 4-0 DFB-Pokal win over Erzgebirge Aue, a result that briefly lifted the mood before back-to-back friendlies against Tottenham produced a draw and then a defeat.

Dortmund come in with a far sharper edge. Three wins, one draw and one defeat from their last five, twelve goals scored and only seven conceded. The most recent marker was emphatic: a 5-0 demolition of HEBC Hamburg in the DFB-Pokal on 1 September.

Their Bundesliga campaign opened with a professional 2-0 victory over Hamburger SV on 29 August. The only blot on the copybook was a 2-1 Super Cup loss to Bayern Munich, wedged between that league win and a 2-2 pre-season draw with Roma. The pattern is clear: this Dortmund side scores in bunches and, more often than not, walks away with the result.

History offers no comfort for either side

The head-to-head picture is tight and tense. The last meeting, on 18 April 2026 at the SNP Arena, went Hoffenheim’s way with a 2-1 Bundesliga win over Dortmund. That result snapped any notion of Dortmund dominance and reminded the visitors that Sinsheim can be unforgiving.

Across the last five clashes, Dortmund edge it by the narrowest of margins: two wins to Hoffenheim’s two, with one draw between them. Those games have produced 14 goals, a tally that hints at another open, unpredictable contest.

Dortmund’s most recent home success in the fixture came in December 2025, a 2-0 win at Signal Iduna Park. Away from home, though, nothing is guaranteed.

The table and the tension

The standings sharpen the stakes. Hoffenheim sit 14th, already glancing over their shoulder. Dortmund are fifth, within striking distance of the top but with no room for early complacency.

For Ilzer’s side, this is about more than three points. It’s about proving that the defensive leaks can be plugged against one of the league’s most potent attacks. For Kovac, it’s an early test of depth and resilience, a chance to show that even without key names, Dortmund can still impose themselves.

When the whistle goes in Sinsheim, does a fragile Hoffenheim steady themselves, or does a wounded Dortmund announce their intentions for the season with another ruthless statement?