'We’re ready,' Hoffenheim boss Matarazzo says ahead of Frankfurt clash.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim kicks off at 14:30 [GMT+1] on Saturday, August 31, at Deutsche Bank Park.

Frankfurt started their 2024-2025 Bundesliga campaign with a 2-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion. Farès Chaibi's failure to convert a huge chance proved costly as the visitors found themselves trailing less than a minute later from a Jamie Bynoe-Gittens strike [72’]. Moments later, Bynoe-Gittens struck again for the brace inside stoppage time [90+3’]. With the loss, Dino Toppmöller’s men find themselves in the bottom two, in 17th place, just above 18th-placed newcomers St. Pauli, who have the same goal difference. This weekend, Die Adler will welcome Hoffenheim, with the aim of bouncing back from matchday one’s defeat as they go in search of their first league win of the 2024-2025 campaign. Frankfurt have enjoyed success in recent meetings against the visitors, having won nine of the last twelve meetings [9W, 1D, & 2L], more victories than against any other team since the start of the 2018/2019 season. Furthermore, the hosts are on an eight-game unbeaten home streak against Saturday's opponents. Frankfurt have not lost their opening two games of a top-flight campaign since 2013/14, a record they will look to keep in place this Saturday. However, the Eagles have only won one of their last ten games in the league [1W, 4D, & 5L]. Toppmöller is expected to deploy the familiar 4—2—3—1, with Hugo Ekitike in attack.

Andrej Kramarić was the star of the day as the Croatian grabbed a hattrick [6’ P., 37’, 87’] to help Hoffenheim emerge with a 3-2 win over Bundesliga debutants Holstein Kiel. Being one of the seven teams to record a win on matchday one, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side are currently in sixth place on the table, behind fifth-placed Bayern Munich, with the same goal difference. While the Die Kraichgauer grabbed their first opening league win in three years, they have only started a Bundesliga campaign with back-to-back wins once [2020/21] in thirteen years, a jinx they will be looking to break when they make the trip to Frankfurt this weekend. 'It’s a great challenge. Frankfurt is a good team. The stadium is also capable of pushing the team forward. To survive there, it’s all about our unity. We’re ready to tackle the game, the boys are excited too. We can get started,' Matarazzo said in a pre-match press conference. Despite recent struggles against the hosts, Hoffenheim will be hoping to return as happy travellers, especially with Frankfurt's poor form, having lost three of their last five league games. Adam Hložek, Marius Bülter, and matchday one’s hero Kramarić are expected to start in attack when Matarazzo deploys the 4—3—3.