Borussia Monchengladbach host Hoffenheim on Saturday in the opening weekend of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season.
These two sides finished one point apart in mid-table last season, so will both be hoping for improved showings this campaign.
Match preview
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After surprisingly claiming the fourth Champions League spot in the 2019-20 season, Gladbach have gradually slid down the table since, finishing eighth and 10th in the following two campaigns.
A decline was always likely after Marco Rose jumped ship to join Borussia Dortmund last summer, with former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Adi Hutter steadying the ship without ever looking like being a natural fit at the club.
Die Fohlen have looked towards former Norwich City manager Daniel Farke to restore their slick passing style, after the 45-year-old earned plenty of plaudits in East Anglia for the emphatic manner in which he guided his team to two promotions to the Premier League.
While results against a fifth-tier side should perhaps be taken with a pinch of salt, Gladbach were impressive nonetheless in Farke's first competitive outing last weekend, with Marcus Thuram bagging a hat-trick as his side thrashed Oberachern 9-1 away from home to reach the DFB-Pokal second round in style.
Hoffenheim will undoubtedly provide a much sterner test on Saturday, but if the likes of Thuram, Jonas Hofmann and Alassane Plea can rediscover their form from Rose's glory days, Gladbach can be a threat to any team in the Bundesliga this season.
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Hoffenheim, meanwhile, have changed managers, too, after a late season collapse almost saw them fall outside of the top-half last season.
Three successive defeats and a winless run of nine matches ended Sebastian Hoeness's reign on a somewhat sour note, with Andre Breitenreiter drafted in as his replacement this summer.
The former FC Zurich boss has been backed in the transfer market, with Stanley Nsoki, Ozan Kabak and Grischa Promel the pick of the club's summer signings. The latter two both scored in extra time to take Die Kraichgauer into the second round of the DFB-Pokal last weekend, after fourth-tier outfit SV Rodinghausen had provided stubborn resistance during normal time.
However, with star man David Raum departing to RB Leipzig for around £23.5m, it remains to be seen whether Breitenreiter has the necessary quality at his disposal to take his new side to higher levels this season.
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Team News
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Gladbach have been handed a blow via the news that Lars Stindl could be sidelined for several weeks after suffering a hamstring injury during his side's heavy cup win last weekend.
Patrick Herrmann could be drafted in as his replacement, with Hofmann moving into a more central role in support of Thuram.
Kouadio Kone and Hannes Wolf are also unavailable due to knocks, while defender Marvin Freidrich is out with a torn muscle.
Ko Itakura should make his first league start for the club after his £4.5m move from English champions Manchester City.
Hoffenheim, meanwhile, will likely look to Robert Skov as the man to replace Raum's creativity down their left flank.
Kabak and Promel should make their first league starts having scored on debut in their side's dramatic DFB-Pokal victory, but Nsoki was not named in the squad and could be absent once again.
Andrej Kramaric will lead the line as the club's most reliable source of goals once again this season.
Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Bensebaini; Kramer, Neuhaus; Plea, Hofmann, Herrmann; Thuram
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Kabak, Vogt, Hubner; Kaderabek, Samassekou, Promel, Skov; Larsen, Baumgartner; Kramaric
We say: Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 Hoffenheim
After a morale-boosting heavy victory in Farke's first competitive game in charge, we can envisage Gladbach beginning Bundesliga life under their new manager with another victory.
The hosts appear to have more firepower than their forthcoming opponents, who were less than impressive when requiring extra time to beat a team three divisions below them in the DFB-Pokal on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Brett Curtis
