Hoffenheim vs Freiburg – News and Probable Lineups

A loss for Hoffenheim against Freiburg at PreZero Arena this Saturday could see them drop out of the Bundesliga’s top four.

The home side is currently in third place with 42 points after suffering a 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on February 8, while Freiburg, positioned seventh, secured a 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen the previous day, bringing their total to 30 points.

Match overview

Hoffenheim can’t have many complaints about their defeat to Bayern, especially as they faced 11 significant chances and exceeded six xG.

In their previous seven fixtures, the hosts had only conceded four goals, keeping three clean sheets while also scoring 18 times.

Christian Ilzer’s squad is just three points in front of RB Leipzig in fourth and Stuttgart in fifth, meaning that a defeat this weekend could allow sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen to cut their current six-point lead in half.

The defeat to Bayern broke Hoffenheim’s unbeaten streak of seven matches and marked just the second time in eight games that they failed to secure a win.

A triumph for Hoffenheim this weekend would mark their eighth consecutive win at PreZero Arena, and achieving a clean sheet would represent their third in six encounters at this venue.

Freiburg created few chances against Werder Bremen, but their ability to maintain a 1-0 advantage, even after Johan Manzambi’s red card in the 52nd minute, deserves recognition.

The visitors have garnered 15 points from losing positions in the Bundesliga, which is the highest in the league, although they have only managed one clean sheet in nine matches this season.

Breisgau-Brasilianer had to settle for a draw during their last encounter with Hoffenheim in September 2025, extending their unbeaten run against them to nine matches, six of which they emerged victorious.

Freiburg’s win over Hertha Berlin in the DFB-Pokal quarter-final on February 10 was their fourth victory in six outings across all competitions, but fans may be worried as their side only managed to score five goals in that timeframe.

Head coach Julian Schuster’s team has achieved just one victory in their last five away fixtures, with five defeats and two draws in their last nine matches on the road.

Team News

Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma is suspended, and forward Adam Hlozek is likely to be out due to a calf issue.

Robin Hranac and Ozan Kabak are expected to partner at the heart of defence, while Andrej Kramaric could play a supporting role to forwards Fisnik Asllani and Bazoumana Toure.

In midfield, supporters should anticipate a trio of Grischa Promel, Leon Avdullahu, and Wouter Burger.

Freiburg may opt to position Philipp Treu on the right side of their defensive line with right-back Lukas Kubler unavailable because of a knee injury.

Midfielders Maximilian Eggestein and Patrick Osterhage are certain starters, while Yuito Suzuki might play as a number 10 behind striker Igor Matanovic.

Hoffenheim probable starting XI:

Baumann; Coufal, Hranac, Kabak, Hajdari; Promel, Avdullahu, Burger; Kramaric; Asllani, Toure

Freiburg probable starting XI:

Atubolu; Treu, Ginter, Rosenfelder, Gunter; Eggestein, Osterhage; Best, Suzuki, Grifo; Matanovic