Hoffenheim host Tottenham in their penultimate league phase fixture in 2024-25 UEFA Europa League.
Victory will lift Hoffenheim into the unseeded knockout play-off placings, whilst Tottenham can move into the top eight with a win.
Team News
Hoffenheim have no fresh injury concerns following their Bundesliga win over Holstein Kiel.
Ihias Bebou, Marius Bulter, Florian Grillitsch, Ozan Kabak and Grischa Promel are ruled out through injury, whilst Gift Orban and Erencan Yardimci are both ineligible.
Tottenham could have Fraser Forster (illness) and Yves Bissouma (knock) back into contention but goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky is ineligible.
Dominic Solanke however is ruled out after he suffered a knee injury during their Premier League defeat at Everton.
Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Mickey van de Ven (leg), Cristian Romero (quad), Rodrigo Bentancur (concussion), Brennan Johnson (calf), Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert and Timo Werner (all hamstring) are sidelined.
When is Kick-Off?
Hoffenheim host Tottenham at Rhein-Neckar-Arena on Thursday 23 January at 6:45pm CET (5:45pm UK Time), live on TNT Sport 1 in the UK.
Stat Attack
- This is Hoffenheim’s first competitive meeting against Tottenham in all competitions.
- Tottenham are making their first competitive away trip to Hoffenheim in all UEFA competitions.
- Arthur Chaves has been booked in each of Hoffenheim’s last two home games in the league phase.
- Spurs have failed to keep a clean sheet away from home in the league phase (W1, D1, L1).
Prediction
Currently sat outside of the knockout play-off spots, Hoffenheim know that this home game is now must-win if want any chance of advancing – especially with a tricky away trip to Anderlecht to come next week in their final league phase fixture – but they can’t be underestimated with three draws in six games in this season’s competition.
Spurs meanwhile were defensively poor with too much space available at the back which Everton superbly punished in the first half amidst a futile second-half fightback, which now must act as a platform for them to come out fighting with a better performance here but Solanke and Johnson’s absences are huge attacking losses for them.
I however do fancy Spurs to win this if they can tighten up defensively given Hoffenheim’s goalscoring issues in the league phase especially when conceded first, but both teams should at least have one goal in them here.
Prediction: Hoffenheim 1-2 Tottenham
Result: Hoffenheim 2-3 Tottenham
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