Two teams with contrasting recent fortunes go head-to-head on Saturday afternoon, as Hertha Berlin host Hoffenheim at Olympiastadion. Read on for our free predictions and betting tips.
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Bookmaker Ratings prediction one: Full Time Result – Hoffenheim to Win – 1.85
Bookmaker Ratings prediction two: Full Time Result – Hoffenheim to Score Over 1.5 Goals – 1.72
Hoffenheim to Win
Hertha Berlin now have the look of a team that is resigned to a fate that involves the second division. The hosts are finding it very tough to put together a positive performance, while resisting opposition attacks is seemingly beyond them. Throw into the mix that the visitors come into this match off the back of an excellent run, with no shortage of momentum, and the away win is hard to look beyond. Even at odds-on, the Hoffenheim win doesn’t look too short, such is the disparity between the recent achievements of this pair.
Hoffenheim to Score Over 1.5 Goals
While Hoffenheim have taken things up a notch in terms of attacking productivity in recent times, scoring at least twice against the likes of Arminia Bielefeld, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart, the hosts have continued to flounder defensively. Hertha have conceded two or more in each of their last five fixtures, as well as in five of their last six at home.
Hertha’s dreadful run continued last time out, as they were beaten on the road at Gladbach, losing by two goals to nil. Not only did they lose, but they played something of a defeatist air, as if relegation is now not only a possibility but a foregone conclusion. Saturday’s hosts now find themselves inside the dreaded bottom two two points from safety.
It really is difficult to put a positive spin on anything that Hertha have done in recent weeks. They’ve lost each of their last five league matches, and are now without a win since December, losing seven and drawing two of their last nine Bundesliga fixtures. They’re scoring minimal goals, notching three in their last five, and conceding far too many, shipping 17 in their last five games.
Meanwhile, the Hoffenheim train is rolling along at great speeds. Saturday’s visitors are without a defeat in their last five, four of which they’ve won. Such a run of form has propelled Sebastian Hoeneß’s men into the top six. They are level on points with RB Leipzig, who currently occupy fourth spot, so Champions League football next season is now a very real possibility.
The visitors also come into this game off the back of consecutive away wins, while they were successful in the reverse of this fixture, beating Hertha by two goals to nil in somewhat simplistic fashion. On this basis, the Hoffenheim boys should go to the Olympiastadion full of confidence on Saturday afternoon.
If you want something at a bigger price, then try ‘Hoffenheim to Score Over 2.5 Goals’. It’s been a while since the visitors notched three times in a single game, but they have the confidence to do so now, while a match against defensively inept Hertha provides the perfect opportunity to improve goal difference. The hosts have recently shipped three or more against the likes of Bayern, Koln, Leipzig and Frankfurt.
Kevin Prince Boateng is out for the hosts, as is Alexander Schwolow. Youngster Fisnik Asllani continues on the sidelines for Hoffenheim, while Chris Richards and Robert Skov are also out. There are doubts too over the fitness of Havard Nordtveit.
Hertha Berlin: Lotka, Gechter, Stark, Kempf, Pekarik, Ascacibar, Plattenhardt, Tousart, Darida, Belfodil, Selke.
Hoffenheim: Baumann, Posch, Grillitsch, Vogt, Kaderabek, Samassekou, Stiller, Raum, Baumgartner, Kramaric, Rutter.
Andrej Kramaric
As he’s now into his seventh season with the Bundesliga outfit, Andrej Kramaric is something of Hoffenheim legend. Hitting double figures for goals in each of the last five campaigns, the Croatian is key to the success of the visitors, and as he’s contributed four goals and seven assists this term, he’s likely to play a big part in what would be another vital win on Saturday afternoon.
The fixture between this pair earlier in the season was won by Hoffenheim.
This game will be played at Hertha’s home ground of the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
We recommend checking out both William Hill and Vbet ahead of this fixture.