TSG Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen
It has been a snowy start to the Bundesliga resumption, as wintery storms swept across Germany, playing havoc with the top-flight fixture list.
TSG Hoffenheim were meant to kick off the New Year with a match away to Werder Bremen, but that hit the skids. And on Tuesday, Bayer Leverkusen’s visit to Hamburg was victim to the snow, called off just three hours before kick-off.
Kasper Hjulmand’s Leverkusen have seen some action in 2026, but not the kind they wanted as they crashed 4-1 at home to VfB Stuttgart last week. Meanwhile, Christian Ilzer’s TSG are due to host Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday night, weather permitting.
A midweek win for TSG would lift them above Bayer in the league table, but as things stand, the Bundesliga game between these two teams is a sixth versus fifth clash, and both teams have their sights firmly fixed on a top four place.
Bayern Munich have raced away at the top of the Bundesliga table with Borussia Dortmund in pursuit and Stuttgart in third, but only three points separate RB Leipzig in fourth from Eintracht Frankfurt in seventh. Both TSG and Bayer have games in hand, and a win on Saturday at the PreZero Arena is a prize well worth fighting for.
Talking Points
Things are heating up in Hoffenheim
It’s been pretty cold in Northern Europe since the turn of the year, but TSG had given their fans a warm feeling with their tremendous run of form pre-Christmas. Following a 15th placed finish last term, head coach Ilzer has really got his men firing, and they went into the winter break with a tally of 11 points from their last six games. That is European qualification form, and Hoffenheim are determined to get more Bundesliga 2026 results.
Ilzer will hope the extended break has not left his players cold, and a Wednesday win over Monchengladbach would take TSG up into the top four. Die Kraichgauer have plenty of work to do, but they have an experienced leadership group led by skipper and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.
With Brazilian Bernardo and former West Ham United star Vladimir Coufal in defence, TSG are hard to break down, and in Croatian star Andrej Kramaric, they have a striker with a wealth of experience.
And keep an eye out for 6’3” forward Fisnik Asllani. The 23-year-old Kosovan has returned from a successful loan spell at SV Elversberg, and he is proving to be a handful in Hoffenheim, scoring in a recent 4-1 win over Hamburg.
Hjulmand is looking for a swift reaction
After a chaotic opening to the campaign, which saw manager Erik Ten Hag potted after just two games, Die Werkself appointed the cool-headed Hjulmand as head coach, and he had the desired effect, quickly lifting Bayer into the leading pack.
And they entered the Christmas break in a festive mood after recording back-to-back victories over Cologne and RB Leipzig. Leverkusen plundered the Red Bull Arena with a 3-1 victory after going a goal behind, with goals from Martin Terrier, Patrik Schick, and 18-year-old winger Montrell Culbreath scoring on his full debut.
Czech hitman Schck is top scoring with six league goals, and he will lead the Bayer line again on Saturday after missing the game against Stuttgart. He was ready to go against Hamburg, so he is ready to take over from Terrier, who stepped in as a makeshift striker last time out.
Leverkusen have won five of their last six away games, keeping three clean sheets in the process, and Hjulmand will certainly expect a response from the debacle against VfB. However, Hoffenheim is certainly not an easy place to go right now.
History
With 21 wins to eight, Die Werkself have bossed the head-to-heads the years while there have been six draws. And Bayer have had a lot of success at the PreZero Arena, with 11 wins to three, and there have been three draws.
Last season, Leverkusen did the double with a 3-1 win at home and a 4-1 victory in Hoffenheim, but they are looking for revenge after TSG took a 2-1 victory away from the BayArena in August.
In terms of recent form and before the midweek fixtures, Hoffenheim had three wins, two draws, and one defeat, while Leverkusen had three wins, one draw, and two defeats.
Betting Tip
The Bundesliga 2026 betting odds say we are in for an epic battle at the PreZero Arena, with Hoffenheim at SBOTOP odds of 2.41 to win and Bayer Leverkusen at 2.48.
And there is a good case for both teams, so I’m backing the draw.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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