OFI Crete vs Hoffenheim – News and Probable Lineups

In their opening Europa League match, Bundesliga club Hoffenheim will be visiting Pankritio Stadium to face OFI Crete, who are making their debut in this league phase, on Thursday.

O Omilos enters this fixture on a high note, while Die Kraichgauer are eager to confirm that their recent victory was not just a fluke.

Match overview

Christos Kontis’s OFI has battled through a playoff to qualify for the Europa League for the first time in their history, and they are determined to demonstrate their legitimacy in the tournament.

O Omilos qualified for the final qualifying round by winning the Greek Cup in 2025-26, and took full advantage by decisively defeating CSKA Sofia with a 5-0 scoreline over two legs last month.

In preparation for their European adventure, Kontis’s squad has produced an impressive streak of three consecutive victories, most recently overcoming the formidable Olympiacos 1-0 on Saturday, thanks to a second-half goal from forward Kenan Kodro.

This win marked OFI’s fourth straight match without conceding a goal, a remarkable defensive record that will instill hope in the underdogs as they head into Thursday’s encounter.

The optimism among the hosts is further enhanced by the fact that they have secured victories in all four of their home games in the 2026-27 season, without conceding a single goal at Pankritio Stadium, and the club has only experienced one defeat in their nine matches this term—a 2-1 loss to Aris Thessaloniki on August 30.

On the other hand, Christian Ilzer’s Hoffenheim is making their return to the Europa League after a one-season absence, looking to avoid a repeat of their disappointing exit during the league phase of the 2024-25 season.

However, Die Kraichgauer have faced a rollercoaster start to their season, achieving two wins and suffering two losses, and have yet to demonstrate their consistency this year.

Ilzer’s side began the 2026-27 season with a significant 4-0 win against Erzgebirge Aue in the DFB-Pokal first round, but followed it up with two straight defeats in their opening Bundesliga matches—a 3-2 loss to FC Koln and another 3-2 setback against Borussia Dortmund.

Dropping six points at the beginning of the Bundesliga timetable was frustrating for Hoffenheim, especially since they had the lead in both encounters, yet fans remain optimistic after witnessing the team’s attacking prowess.

That optimism was rewarded last Saturday when Die Kraichgauer secured their first league victory of the season by taking down Stuttgart 2-1 at SNP Arena, courtesy of a brace from Adam Hlozek.

Hoffenheim enters this match as the favorites, and if they maintain their trend of scoring at least two goals in every game thus far, the visitors are anticipated to secure consecutive wins for the first time this season.

Team News

OFI is set to miss right-back Nikos Marinakis and is uncertain about the availability of centre-back Dimitrios Nikolaou, who was substituted due to a hip injury sustained against Olympiacos.

Given this context, it seems likely that Konstantinos Kostoulas, Achilleas Poungouras, and Christos Sielis will form the three-man defence for Kontis, with wing-backs Lorenzo Dickmann and Nikolaos Athanasiou operating on the flanks.

As for Hoffenheim, they will be without winger Alexander Prass, who is expected to be sidelined for several weeks due to a muscle injury he picked up in early August.

In his absence, Bambase Conte and Adam Daghim may be deployed on the wings on Thursday, providing support for striker Tim Lemperle along with Adam Hlozek.

Defensively, Ozan Kabak and Albian Hajdari will likely shield goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, just ahead of a central midfield pairing of Leon Avdullahu and Wouter Burger.

OFI Crete probable starting XI:

Christogeorgos; Kostoulas, Poungouras, Sielis? Dickmann, Androutsos, Bouchalakis, Athanasiou; Fountas, Cantalapiedra; Kodro

Hoffenheim probable starting XI:

Baumann; Gendrey, Kabak, Hajdari, Rots; Avdullahu, Burger; Conte, Hlozek, Daghim; Lemperle

With OFI’s strong form and their impressive defensive record, it suggests that Thursday’s match is likely to be a tightly contested encounter.

Hoffenheim have shown inconsistency in their results this season, but having scored at least two goals in each of their four matches so far, the offensive capabilities of the German side should suffice to collect all three points.