Leverkusen looking to bounce back in trip to Hoffenheim.

Hoffenheim vs. Bayer Leverkusen kicks off at 14:30 [GMT+1] on Saturday, September 14 at the PreZero Arena.

After a winning start to the 2024-2025 campaign, Hoffenheim failed to replicate their league-opening performance, having suffered a 3-1 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday 2, just before the international break. Die Kraichgauer found themselves trailing by two goals in the first half. Despite pulling a goal back in the second half via Andrej Kramarić [54’], Pellegrino Matarazzo's men conceded another goal just two minutes later, ending their four-game unbeaten streak in the league spanning from the previous season [DWWWL]. With the loss, Hoffenheim are in eleventh place, tied on 3 points with Saturday’s opponent, Bayer Leverkusen, who have a superior goal difference. Hoffenheim have lost as many as nineteen games against Leverkusen, with only Bayern Munich (20), inflicting more defeats on the hosts. Furthermore, Die Kraichgauer have lost their last three meetings with Leverkusen and haven’t endured a worse losing streak to the Bundesliga champions since doing so in 2011-2013, when they lost six consecutive games. However, the hosts have a recent pattern of bouncing back on matchday three, having won their third league game in the previous two seasons after defeats. Pellegrino Matarazzo is expected to stick with his 3—5—2 formation, having Marius Bülter and Adam Hložek in attack.

Leverkusen suffered their first defeat in 462 days after losing 3-2 to RB Leipzig on matchday 2, one that ended an impressive 35-game unbeaten run [29W, 6D, 0L] in the Bundesliga. Despite taking a two-goal lead via Jeremie Frimpong [38'] and Alejandro Grimaldo [45'], Xabi Alonso's side surprisingly found themselves on the losing end after a second-half brace from Loïs Openda [57’, 80’] flipped the game on its head following a leveller. The last time Leverkusen suffered a defeat from a two-goal advantage was in December 2021 against Eintracht Frankfurt [5-2]. ‘It's not a good sign. We need to correct that and be better,’ Alonso said after the defeat. A game against Hoffenheim will present the perfect opportunity to bounce back following their dominant form on the road. The visitors are unbeaten in 18 Bundesliga away games [15W, 3D, 0L] since May 2023. This is the second-longest run in Bundesliga history, behind only Bayern Munich's 33-game streak between 2012 and 2014. A win in Sinsheim would make it the first time Leverkusen have won their opening two away games of the season. Alonso is expected to deploy his preferred 3—4—3 formation with Florian Wirtz, who scored for Germany in a 5-0 win over Hungary during the international break, likely starting in attack alongside Victor Boniface and Martin Terrier. Victor Boniface was involved in Nigeria’s goalless draw against Rwanda.