Crystal Palace vs Hoffenheim – News and Probable Lineups

Desperate for a confidence-boosting win, struggling Crystal Palace will host Hoffenheim at Selhurst Park in their upcoming League Phase match in the Europa League this Thursday evening.

At present, the Eagles are 15th in the standings among 36 teams, while their German rivals find themselves in 23rd place, eight spots down after the initial three rounds of fixtures.

Match overview

Following nine matches in the Premier League, Crystal Palace finds themselves in the relegation zone, having achieved two wins, one draw, and a league-high six losses, putting head coach Pierre Sage under heightened scrutiny.

The Eagles have also allowed the most goals in the league (21) and faced their third consecutive defeat in the top flight last weekend, losing 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur, a match significantly affected by the red card issued to striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 13th minute.

“A problem with performance” is an issue Sage is clearly seeking to tackle, and the Frenchman – appointed in June to replace Conference League champion Oliver Glasner – is facing two crucial home games against Hoffenheim and Liverpool that could determine his future in South London.

Palace’s performance in their first Europa League campaign has been inconsistent to date; they dominated Lech Poznan 4-0 at home in their opening match but lost 3-2 to Lyon and drew 2-2 against Besiktas, away games characterized by slow starts and valiant yet imperfect fightbacks.

The Eagles will take heart from their record of winning three out of their last five home fixtures across all competitions (L2), and they also approach Thursday’s clash unbeaten in seven European encounters at Selhurst Park (W5 D2).

Engaging in a major European competition for the fifth time in their history, Hoffenheim has only garnered three points from the first nine available in their Europa League journey (W1 L2).

Die Kraichgauer were defeated in their first two matches by OFI Crete (2-0) and Besiktas (3-2), yet they managed what Palace could not against Lyon, achieving a convincing 3-0 win over the French side a fortnight ago, which marked their entry into the League Phase.

This emphatic victory was part of a three-match winning streak for Christian Ilzer’s squad across all competitions, but their momentum was halted by a DFB-Pokal second-round elimination on penalties to Holstein Kiel and a 2-0 Bundesliga loss to Werder Bremen, suffering defeat against the latter last Saturday.

Although five defeats in eight Bundesliga matches have seen Hoffenheim drop to 12th in the table, already six points behind the top four, Ilzer remains “not worried” about his team and has highlighted many positives from their spirited displays.

Returning to winning form on Thursday is no foregone conclusion, however, as Hoffenheim has collected just one victory from their last six European away games (D2 L3), and they have lost all five of their past encounters with English opponents (once to Tottenham, twice to Liverpool, and once to Manchester City).

Team News

For Crystal Palace, Ismaila Sarr (groin), Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), and Chadi Riad (knee) will continue to be unavailable due to injuries, although Jorgen Strand Larsen (ankle) and Quinten Timber (hamstring) may be fit enough to rejoin the matchday lineup.

Despite his red card in the Premier League, Mateta is eligible for selection on Thursday and is expected to spearhead the attack for the Eagles, with Yeremy Pino, Dwight McNeil, Eddie Nketiah, Dario Osorio, and Evann Guessand all contending for roles in the final third.

Midfield opportunities are up for grabs with Cheick Doucoure and Will Hughes looking to start, while Anan Khalaili and Ben Chilwell may both come back as wing-backs, possibly taking the places of Oscar Mingueza and Tyrick Mitchell.

For Hoffenheim, their treatment room is crowded with ex-West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal (thigh), Bambase Conte (adductor), Patrick Wimmer (hamstring), Valentin Gendrey (broken leg), Albain Hajdari (foot), Nathan De Cat (knee), and Max Moerstedt (head).

After serving a suspension during the loss to Werder Bremen, Alexander Prass is set to return and could participate as a central midfielder alongside either Leon Avdullahu or Wouter Burger.

Andrej Kramaric was pivotal in the win against Lyon, contributing to all three goals (one goal, two assists), and at 35 years old, he is expected to be supported in attack by Adam Daghim, Tim Lemperle, and the team’s leading scorer Adam Hlozek (four goals).

Crystal Palace probable starting XI:

Henderson; Canvot, Dsisa, Richards; Khalaili, Wharton, Doucoure, Chilwell; Pino, Nketiah; Pumpkin

Hoffenheim probable starting XI:

Baumann; Abraha, Kabak, Machida, Rots; Prass, Avdullahu; Kramaric, Daghim; Lemperle, Hlozek

Of Hoffenheim’s 13 competitive matches this season, ten have yielded more than 2.5 goals, while all three of Crystal Palace’s Europa League fixtures this year have seen at least four goals scored, suggesting an engaging encounter is in prospect on Thursday.

Both teams are keen for a victory to enhance their hopes for knockout stage qualification, but a draw could also be a likely outcome in this matchup.