Bundesliga: Can Hoffenheim Put Up Resistance Versus Bayern?

TSG Hoffenheim vs Bayern Munich

Hoffenheim will have a huge challenge at their hands as they host Bayern Munich at the Rhein-Neckar Arena for the second matchday of the Bundesliga.

After coming off of a win versus FC Koln in a five-goal thriller last week, Die Kraichgauer are hopeful that they can churn out a positive result against the mighty Bavarians.

However, it will be easier said than done as the defending champions remain prolific as ever.

They kickstarted their 2020/21 campaign with a dominating 8-0 victory over poor Schalke. While last night, they won the UEFA Super Cup with a win over Sevilla FC.

The Bavarians have added another piece of silverware to their ever-growing trophy case, just weeks after they completed a historic treble after beating Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.

With the way they have been playing right now, Bayern Munich are pegged as the heavy favourites to win it all again according to the Bundesliga 2020 odds.

Can the German juggernauts continue to run hot in form? Or will Hoffenheim pull off a surprise at home this weekend?

SBOTOP got you covered with the latest updates here in this match preview.

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Talking Points

Hoffenheim are coming in with renewed hope

Die Kraichgauer got off to a decent start this season and they are hopeful that they can keep it going against the defending champions.

Hoffenheim are coming off of a 3-2 victory over FC Koln, thanks to a superb hat-trick performance by Andrej Kramaric.

It was the coming out party for the Croatian international as he is in the midst of his comeback trail. Last season, Kramaric experienced a turbulent season as he was bothered by multiple injuries.

Now that he’s fully healed, Kramaric has been spoilng Hoffenheim fans with goals and highlights.

Prior to his hat-trick versus FC Koln, he scored a brace against Chemnitzer to propel his team to the second round of the DFB Pokal.

His explosive form has been a welcome sight especially for newly-minted coach Sebastian Hoeneß.

Andrej Kramaric appears to be a seamless fit to Hoeneß’s fast-paced attacking tactics and it will get even better once Robert Skov becomes 100-per cent fit.

After seeing how they performed against Cologne last week, the former Bayern Munich youth manager will likely stick to his guns to try and outgun Lewandowski and co.

Who can stop Bayern Munich?

By the looks of it, it seems that the answer to that question is themselves. However, Hansi Flick has done a fantastic job on keeping his boys grounded.

It would’ve been easy for the German manager to rest on his laurels with what he achieved with the club in such a short time last term, but the Bavarian giants look even better than ever.

Robert Lewandowski is always a threat on goal, but he is now being complemented by the second coming of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben in Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry.

Thomas Muller, Leon Goretzka, and Joshua Kimmich make up a dangerous midfield combo while Niklas Sule, Benjamin Pavard, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, and Alphonso Davies have formed a formidable backline.

For this game, Flick is expected to rest some of his key players.

Serge Gnabry, who played the full 120 minutes versus Sevilla FC, is likely to be rested. Meanwhile, Jerome Boateng and Kingsley Coman would need to work their way into full fitness.

History

Assuming Bayern Munich will perform to their usual standards this weekend, they will achieve several milestones.

The Bavarian giants have won their last 10 away matches, and a victory here will put them in the Bundesliga history books as the first team to reach 11 consecutive road wins.

Hansi Flick has been in charge of Bayern for 11 months and has won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, UCL and UEFA Super Cup — Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick during training

Hansi Flick’s side could also be the first team to make 10 goals in the first two fixtures of a season.

In the last time that they met, Bayern Munich hammered Hoffenheim with a comprehensive 6-0 victory. It was Die Kraichgauer’s worst home loss since their promotion to top-flight in 2008.

Betting Tip

	TSG Hoffenheim vs Bayern Munich	Bayern Munich Asian Handicap -1.75 @ 1.74
	September 27, 21:30 (GMT+8)

Bayern Munich are the hot favourites for this weekend’s contest.

They are priced at 1.24, while Hoffenheim are priced to win at 8.50 and chances for a draw are at 6.80 in the 1×2 market.

Given the Bavarian giants’ overall quality and depth, they are expected to cruise to an easy win even if they don’t go all out.

Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.70 and Over 2.50 @ 1.24 are good bets as well as Hansi Flick’s side is expected to pour in the goals.

This match may just be a matter of how many goals can they score more than their home opponents as we will be spoiled by a ton of Bundesliga 2020 highlights.