Hoffenheim are set to play Premier League side Fulham in a pre-season friendly at PreZero Arena on Saturday.
The home side finished seventh in the Bundesliga last term with 46 points from 34 games, while the visitors ended their 2023-24 season in 13th place with 47 points from 38 matches.
Match preview
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This is Hoffenheim's final pre-season game before they begin their 2024-25 domestic campaign against Wurzburger Kickers in the DFB-Pokal on August 16.
The hosts will have been delighted with their showing last term considering their seventh-placed finish was their highest placement since 2019-20, and was enough to secure the club Europa League qualification.
Die Kraichgauer scored 66 goals and conceded 66 times last season in the Bundesliga, and of the 18 sides in the division, this made them the sixth-best offensive and 15th-best defensive team.
Manager Pellegrino Matarazzo, who has been in charge since February 2023, has an overall record of 19 wins, nine draws and 23 losses.
Matarazzo's team come into the clash having won two, drawn one and lost one of their four pre-season friendlies, including a 1-0 defeat last time out on August 3 against Ipswich Town.
Hoffenheim are also unbeaten in their last six home fixtures, scoring 17 times and winning four of those matches.
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Opponents Fulham will be pleased that they are to play a third consecutive season in the top flight, though they did accumulate five fewer points in 2023-24 than they did in 2022-23.
However, the Cottagers did lose striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to the riches of the Al-Hilal last term, and they should be commended for getting by without their top scorer.
It also seemed possible at one stage last season that boss Marco Silva would leave to manage in the Saudi Pro League, but the Portuguese rejected a £40m contract offer from Al-Ahli and opted to stay in the Premier League instead.
Fulham scored 55 goals and conceded 61 times in the Premier League in 2023-24, and these were the division's joint 12th-best offensive and joint seventh-best defensive records respectively.
The visitors are unbeaten on the road in their last three competitive matches, though prior to this they only won five of the previous 28 away games.
Fulham lost their last pre-season friendly 2-1 against Sevilla on August 5, but they did beat Benfica 1-0 on August 2.
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Team News
![Issa Diop of Fulham FC in action during the Friendly football match between Fulham Football Club and Sevilla Futbol Club at Algarve Stadium on August 5, 2024 [on August 8, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/issa-diop.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Issa Diop of Fulham FC in action during the Friendly football match between Fulham Football Club and Sevilla Futbol Club at Algarve Stadium on August 5, 2024 [on August 8, 2024]")
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Matarazzo subbed off all eleven starters in his side's defeat against Ipswich, and the likes of Florian Grillitsch will be hoping to be among the players to feature from the off on Saturday.
Anton Stach can be expected to start in midfield despite speculation over a possible transfer, while Oliver Baumann will no doubt start in goal.
As for Fulham, they could make several changes to the XI that started against Sevilla last time out and bring in more established players.
As such, expect Emile Smith Rowe to make his first start for the Cottagers, while Bernd Leno, Calvin Bassey, Antonee Robinson and Rodrigo Muniz could also come in too.
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Kaderabek, Drexler, Akpoguma; Bischof, Grillitsch, Stach, Bulter; Moerstedt, Bebou, Kramaric
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Castagne, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Pajaziti, Reed; Wilson, Pereira, Smith Rowe; Muniz
We say: Hoffenheim 2-1 Fulham
Considering the hosts' poor defensive record last term in the Bundesliga, the likes of Smith Rowe and Harry Wilson could create chances.
However, Hoffenheim will be boosted by the fact they will play in front of a home crowd in Germany, and they could cause the visitors difficulties.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
