The title race may be over but there is plenty of life left in the Bundesliga season yet, and among the most compelling of contests is the race for third place between Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim.
Two of the division’s most entertaining sides meet on Matchday 32 in a clash that could decide the final automatic UEFA Champions League spot, even with two rounds of matches to follow.
Marco Reus has called the game “an absolute cup final”, but which team is in best shape to come out on top? bundesliga.com takes a look at how the two teams match up ahead of Saturday's meeting.
Forwards
Few would argue against Borussia boasting the more formidable forward line here. The aforementioned Reus has returned from a six-week injury lay-off to score four in his last five in all competitions. It is hardly surprising therefore that head coach Thomas Tuchel recently said: "Marco is such an important element of our play." Few onlookers would doubt such sentiments.
And while the 27-year-old Germany international has been firing on all cylinders recently, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been doing so all season, plundering an incredible 27 goals in 29 Bundesliga games.
For Hoffenheim, the goals have been spread more evenly. Experienced striker Sandro Wagner has netted 11 times, while strike partner Andrej Kramaric has notched 12 and provided another eight to help the Sinsheim outfit win five of their last seven outings.
Verdict: As impressive as Kramaric and Wagner have proven to be as a pairing, Dortmund surely boast the stronger firepower.
Midfielders
Behind the strikers, expect a deliciously competitive contest between some of the division’s most exciting talents. For BVB, French winger Ousmane Dembele and USMNT man Christian Pulisic, both superstars in the making, will be looking to add to their combined 17 assists this season, not to mention their nine goals.
Yet while Hoffenheim’s midfield providers may be somewhat lesser-known, they are just as easy on the eye. Kerem Demirbay had played just three Bundesliga games before this season, but has come into his own in the top flight, contributing seven assists and six goals.
Further behind him, Sebastian Rudy, although nominally a defensive player, has also laid on seven goals of his own, many of them after leading speedy counter-attacks. His battle with Dortmund’s Julian Weigl, an entirely different type of holding midfielder, should be a fascinating sub-plot.
Verdict: While Dortmund might have the more dangerous individuals, Hoffenheim’s tactical flexibility means their collective strength could decide the midfield battle. They could even negate sparring with the home side in the middle of the park and play on the break, as they have done with such success this season.
Defenders
It is at the back where the visiting side may claim to have the advantage heading into the game, because while both sides boast talented players that can play in different formations, Hoffenheim appear to be more at ease with their 3-5-2 system. They have conceded 32 goals compared to BVB’s 35, but crucially have lost just three times all season.
Borussia, by contrast, have lost six, and even with their Greek warrior Sokratis Papastathopoulos in the side, they have looked susceptible at the back. Hoffenheim’s backline is marshalled by the almost peerless Niklas Süle – soon, along with team-mate Rudy, to join record champions Bayern Munich after developing into one of the league’s most accomplished defenders – and both with and without the ball, the Sinsheimers have looked extremely solid at the back this term.
Verdict: with a more settled side in which each player knows his role intimately, Hoffenheim’s rearguard could be the foundation on which they can succeed this weekend.
Coach
Thomas Tuchel or Julian Nagelsmann? Now that is a touch choice. The former is one victory away from winning the DFB Cup with Dortmund, having worked wonders with Mainz between 2009 and 2014, while the latter is bidding to lead Hoffenheim into the Champions League group stage in his first season in a senior coaching role. And did we mention that he’s only 29 years of age?
“We have the form, the self-belief and the mentality to win this match against Hoffenheim," said Tuchel. "The performances that we are giving [...] and the intensity are of the highest level. We will prepare well. Strength lies in tranquility. It is still a long way to go until Saturday. But we will be ready."
Nagelsmann’s achievement of transforming Hoffenheim from relegation candidates last spring to European participants this year truly sensational, showcasing his ability to motivate as well as coach. Tuchel possesses similar gifts and his Dortmund team is without doubt in his own image: flexible, inventive and tactically astute.
Verdict: in a one-off game between two of Europe’s most intelligent football brains, this game really could come down to a stroke of managerial genius.
The SIGNAL IDUNA PARK factor
Just one point separates the sides and just four goals their respective goal difference, further underlining how evenly matched these two are. As for which one comes out on top, it may come down to what type of contest each side allows this match to become. In one-on-one battles, Dortmund’s star quality could turn things in their favour, but if Hoffenheim’s collective functions to its full capacity, they may just edge it.
Finally, however, we must consider the SIGNAL IDUNA PARK factor. Dortmund have not lost a Bundesliga game on their own patch for over two years (against Bayern in April 2015). It will take a mammoth effort from Nagelsmann’s outfit to inflict another defeat, but surely BVB’s sensational home run will end at some point. Right?
Bernard Reeves
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