Today is the start of the next round of Bundesliga matches. Matchday 14 begins with Borussia Dortmund against 1899 Hoffenheim at 20:30 CET. The hosts Dortmund are starting their first game of the season as the table’s bottom side, while Hoffenheim are close to the European places.
After 13 matchdays, the table could not look any more unusual. With only three wins, two draws and eight losses in total, Dortmund are sitting at the bottom of the pile. TSG, on the other hand, have picked up a total of 20 points and are only six points behind Wolfsburg, who are in second place behind leaders Bayern.
"A big chance to come out of this crisis stronger"
"Friday is High Noon for us. We have to show what we're capable of," said Jürgen Klopp ahead of his side's home fixture. According to the BVB boss, he will need experienced heads in the relegation battle, players who can deal with the pressure and are resistant against setbacks during a match. "We have a big chance to come out of this crisis stronger, without being divided up during this difficult phase," said the 47-year-old. "Hopefully we can send a message that the club has grown even closer."
Leaders will need to step up to the plate in order for BVB to overcome their difficult situation. World Champion Mats Hummels falls under that category. The club captain has trained without any pain in recent days following ligament damage and is back in the squad. It's not clear whether the centre back will return to the starting line-up though. "I hope that I can help out," said the 25-year-old on Twitter.
Spectacular past meetings
The roles have been completely reversed in comparison to the teams' positions on matchday 34 during the 2012/13 season. Back then, it was Hoffenheim who were in the relegation zone and were fighting to stay in the Bundesliga when they faced Dortmund, who ended up finishing second in the table. Markus Gisdol's side secured a shock a 2-1 win and went on to avoid relegation via the play-offs.
17 months on, Dortmund have to return to winning ways and pull themselves out of the relegation zone. However, it will be no easy task against an attacking Hoffenheim team. Markus Gisdol’s side have recovered from three recent defeats against Gladbach (3-1), Köln (4-3) and Bayern (4-0) by beating Hannover 4-3 ahead of their trip to Dortmund.
TSG and BVB have each recorded four wins in past meetings, while there have been four draws. The goal record stands at 17-17. Apart from a 0-0 draw in their first away match in Dortmund, Hoffenheim have scored in every meeting with BVB. There have also been four dismissals in the six encounters in Dortmund to date, two for the home team and two for the visitors.
created by mmc/emd
Today is the start of the next round of Bundesliga matches. Matchday 14 begins with Borussia Dortmund against 1899 Hoffenheim at 20:30 CET. The hosts Dortmund are starting their first game of the season as the table’s bottom side, while Hoffenheim are close to the European places.
After 13 matchdays, the table could not look any more unusual. With only three wins, two draws and eight losses in total, Dortmund are sitting at the bottom of the pile. TSG, on the other hand, have picked up a total of 20 points and are only six points behind Wolfsburg, who are in second place behind leaders Bayern.
"A big chance to come out of this crisis stronger"
"Friday is High Noon for us. We have to show what we're capable of," said Jürgen Klopp ahead of his side's home fixture. According to the BVB boss, he will need experienced heads in the relegation battle, players who can deal with the pressure and are resistant against setbacks during a match. "We have a big chance to come out of this crisis stronger, without being divided up during this difficult phase," said the 47-year-old. "Hopefully we can send a message that the club has grown even closer."
Leaders will need to step up to the plate in order for BVB to overcome their difficult situation. World Champion Mats Hummels falls under that category. The club captain has trained without any pain in recent days following ligament damage and is back in the squad. It's not clear whether the centre back will return to the starting line-up though. "I hope that I can help out," said the 25-year-old on Twitter.
Spectacular past meetings
The roles have been completely reversed in comparison to the teams' positions on matchday 34 during the 2012/13 season. Back then, it was Hoffenheim who were in the relegation zone and were fighting to stay in the Bundesliga when they faced Dortmund, who ended up finishing second in the table. Markus Gisdol's side secured a shock a 2-1 win and went on to avoid relegation via the play-offs.
17 months on, Dortmund have to return to winning ways and pull themselves out of the relegation zone. However, it will be no easy task against an attacking Hoffenheim team. Markus Gisdol’s side have recovered from three recent defeats against Gladbach (3-1), Köln (4-3) and Bayern (4-0) by beating Hannover 4-3 ahead of their trip to Dortmund.
TSG and BVB have each recorded four wins in past meetings, while there have been four draws. The goal record stands at 17-17. Apart from a 0-0 draw in their first away match in Dortmund, Hoffenheim have scored in every meeting with BVB. There have also been four dismissals in the six encounters in Dortmund to date, two for the home team and two for the visitors.
