BVB in the Kraichgau: the clash of the “crossing kings” | OneFootball

The scenario: Hoffenheim had to settle for a 2-2 draw in Augsburg last matchday and have now gone four games without a win (two draws, two losses), dropping from third to sixth place. In their last match against Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund failed to score for the first time this Bundesliga season; this brought to an end a run of 36 Bundesliga matches across this season and last in which BVB had always scored at least one goal. The 1-0 home loss dropped the Black & Yellows to second place in the league table for the second half of the season, behind Bayern Munich; they also occupy that position in both the home and away tables.

Home & away: TSG have recorded eight wins, one draw, and five home losses at their own stadium so far. Their most recent home victory came two months ago in a 3-0 win over Freiburg. BVB have been undefeated on the road for exactly six months, most recently securing four wins and one draw in away matches.

Head-to-head: Borussia Dortmund has won seven of their last nine Bundesliga matches against Hoffenheim. In Sinsheim, BVB have notched up five consecutive away wins, and they haven’t failed to score there in 13 years.

Statistics: Hoffenheim (164) and Dortmund (161) have had nearly the same number of corner kicks. Borussia’s ten goals resulting from corners are the most of any team. Hoffenheim managed to score from a corner for only the second time this season in their last matchday game in Augsburg (2-2). Both teams are nearly equally successful with crosses from open play. Here, too, Borussia lead the league with 14 goals, while TSG rank third in scoring from these situations (ten times).

Reverse fixture: At a sold-out SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Julian Brandt made it 1-0 shortly before halftime (43). In a very intense match, Nico Schlotterbeck extended the lead exactly one hour into the game. Hoffenheim grew stronger from there, but Borussia always kept their composure.

Biggest away win: BVB have won by more than a one-goal margin in the Kraichgau region on just two occasions: in 2012 and 2023, both times by a score of 3–1. On the second occasion, the Black and Yellows took the lead twice through goals from Niclas Füllkrug (18) and Marco Reus (45+3) (Andrej Kramaric had equalised from the penalty spot) and defended their lead despite being a man down from the 71st minute onwards, following Ramy Bensebaini’s second yellow card, right through to the seven minutes of added time. Julian Ryerson put the finishing touch on the match with a fantastic solo effort (90+5).

Last season: On Matchday 31, BVB won 3-2 (1-0) away at TSG Hoffenheim in a match that proved turbulent in the closing stages. The Black & Yellows had the first half firmly under control, apart from a brief spell, and took a deserved lead in the 20th minute through Serhou Guirassy, following build-up play from Julian Brandt and Daniel Svensson. The striker missed the chance to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot 14 minutes later. Jamie Gittens squandered another big opportunity in the 54th minute. Instead, Adam Hlozek scored the equaliser in the 61st minute. Julian Brandt put the Black & Yellows back in front with a technically impressive goal from a tight angle a quarter of an hour before the end, but Hoffenheim’s Kaderabek equalised in stoppage time to make it 2–2. However, BVB had an answer: Waldemar Anton scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to snatch a 3-2 win.