Hoffenheim take on Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga on Sunday, with the visitors able to move out of the relegation zone by gaining a positive result.
The hosts, meanwhile, appear to have little to play for between now and the end of the season, although a win would put any lingering relegation concerns almost entirely to bed.
Match preview
© Reuters
Having remained unbeaten for four successive league games, Hoffenheim crashed back down to earth with a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Stuttgart last weekend.
Silas Wamangituka proved a thorn in Sebastian Hoeness's side all afternoon, with the winger racing down the right flank to create both goals.
Kasim Nuhu turned the ball past his own goalkeeper on the first occasion, with Sasa Kalajdzic converting for a seventh successive league game after the hour mark to wrap up a comfortable victory for his side.
The defeat leaves Hoffenheim four points adrift of the top half, but with a nine-point cushion above Mainz and the relegation zone, any chance of being condemned to the German second tier seems extremely unlikely.
However, there would be no better way to end any small fears regarding that by beating the second-bottom side in the division on Sunday.
© Reuters
Mainz, meanwhile, continue to improve under the tutelage of Bo Svensson, with four wins from their last eight games taking them to within only a point of safety.
It has been quite the turnaround given that it does not feel too long ago that Mainz were cut adrift alongside Schalke 04 at the bottom of the table; they have since moved 11 points clear of them, dragging Hertha Berlin, Arminia Bielefeld and FC Koln right into the mix in terms of the first automatic relegation position.
Svensson's side were extremely solid in their 1-0 win over Freiburg last weekend, enjoying the better chances throughout the game, with Cardiff City loanee Robert Glatzel wildly blazing over from close range after superb wing play by Danny da Costa in the second half.
The forward could not convert his subsequent header from point-blank range, either, but thankfully substitute Robin Quaison was on hand from the rebound to score a vital 84th-minute winner.
Of Mainz's last five goals, four have now been scored by substitutes, illustrating Svensson's magic touch since being appointed as manager of the club he spent seven years at as a player.
- L
- D
- W
- D
- W
- L
- D
- W
- L
- D
- W
- L
- W
- D
- W
- L
- D
- W
Team News
© Reuters
Hoffenheim's unavailability list remains extremely lengthy, with Christoph Baumgartner, Kostas Stafylidis, Mijat Gacinovic, Stefan Posch, Havard Nordtveit and Kevin Akpoguma all unlikely to return until after the upcoming international break.
Dennis Geiger, Ermin Bicakcic and Benjamin Hubner have all but been ruled out for the season with hamstring, ACL and MCL injuries respectively.
Mainz, meanwhile, will travel to Hoffenheim without the injured pair of Danny Latza and Karim Onisiwo.
Quaison and Glatzel could receive starts in attack after both made an excellent impact from the bench against Freiburg.
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Kasim, Grillitsch, Richards; Kaderabek, Rudy, Samassekou, Sessegnon; Baumgartner; Bebou, Kramaric
Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Zentner; St Juste, Bell, Niakhate; Da Costa, Barreiro, Kohr, Mwene; Burkhardt, Szalai, Quaison
We say: Hoffenheim 1-1 Mainz 05
We can envisage an entertaining affair in Hoffenheim on Sunday, with the hosts likely to attack from the outset.
Hoeness's side have much less to lose than the visitors, who will likely look to attack Hoffenheim's high line in transition, which could help Mainz gain a positive result.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Hoffenheim win with a probability of 53.52%. A win for Mainz 05 had a probability of 23.48% and a draw had a probability of 23%.
The most likely scoreline for a Hoffenheim win was 2-1 with a probability of 9.8%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-0 (9.57%) and 2-0 (8.7%). The likeliest Mainz 05 win was 1-2 (6.08%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (10.78%). The actual scoreline of 1-2 was predicted with a 6.1% likelihood.
