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In Bundesliga action this weekend, Hoffenheim will host Bochum at the PreZero Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Hoffenheim's pursuit of UEFA Champions League football took a hit when they suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to relegation battlers Hertha Berlin in their last outing. They controlled possession for large swathes but failed to create enough offensively.
The hosts sit sixth in the Bundesliga standings, with 44 points from 27 games. They will look to shake off their last setback and return to winning ways this weekend as they seek to qualify for the Champions League.
Bochum, meanwhile, have struggled for form recently. They were beaten 2-0 by Borussia Monchengladbach in their last game. The game was cut short in the 71st minute with the scoreline at 2-0 after a linesman was hit on the head with a cup, eventually resulting in the abandonment of the match.
Bochum sit 12th in the league table with 32 points from 27 games. They need to return to winning ways this weekend to pull clear of the drop zone.
Hoffenheim vs Bochum Head-to-Head
There have been just eight meetings between Hoffenheim and Bochum. The hosts have won three of those games, while the visitors have won five. The two sides last faced off in a league clash earlier in the season, which Bochum won 2-0.
Hoffenheim Form Guide (all competitions): L-D-W-W-W.
Bochum Form Guide (all competitions): L-W-L-D-W.
Hoffenheim vs Bochum Team News
Hoffenheim
The hosts will be without the services of Ermin Bicakcic, Robert Skov and Stefan Posch this weekend, as the trio are injured. Benjamin Hubner and Angelo Stiller are both doubts as they work their way back to full fitness.
Injured: Ermin Bicakcic, Robert Skov, Stefan Posch.
Doubtful: Benjamin Hubner, Angelo Stiller.
Suspended: None.
Unavailable: None.
Bochum
Jurgen Locadia is out with a hip injury, while Armel Bella-Kotchap has been suspended due to an accumulation of bookings. Simon Zoller, Konstantinos Stafylidis, Patrick Osterhage, Milos Pantovic and Robert Tesche are all doubts for the game, with the latter three recovering from COVID-19.
Injured: Jurgen Locadia.
Doubtful: Simon Zoller, Konstantinos Stafylidis, Patrick Osterhage, Milos Pantovic, Robert Tesche.
Suspended: Armel Bella-Kotchap.
Unavailable: None.
Hoffenheim vs Bochum Predicted XIs
Hoffenheim (3-4-1-2): Oliver Baumann; Kevin Akpoguma, Florian Grillitsch, Kevin Vogt; Pavel Kaderabek, Dennis Geiger, Diadie Samassekou, David Raum; Christoph Baumgartner; Ihlas Bebou, Andrej Kramaric.
Bochum (4-3-3): Manuel Riemann; Herbert Bockhorn, Vasilis Lampropoulos, Erhan Masovic, Danilo Soares; Elvis Rexhbecaj, Anthony Losilla, Eduard Lowen; Christopher Antwi-Adjei, Sebastian Polter, Gerrit Holtmann.
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Hoffenheim vs Bochum Prediction
Hoffenheim's latest result ended a five-game unbeaten run, where they won four games on the bounce. They are unbeaten in their last three home games and will look to capitalize on their home advantage.
Bochum, meanwhile, are on a run of back-to-back defeats and have won just one of their last six games across competitions. The hosts should win this one.
Prediction: Hoffenheim 2-1 Bochum.
