RBL out to hit back and take three points against Hoffenheim | OneFootball

On Friday night, RB Leipzig host TSG Hoffenheim. On matchday 27, the Red Bulls will be looking to further improve their good record against another direct challenger in the race for the Champions League. To do so, they will need to keep a particularly close eye on one of Hoffenheim’s longest-serving players.

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RBL looking to regain momentum

After Ole Werner’s side were narrowly beaten by VfB Stuttgart on Sunday evening, another big game is already around the corner. The Red Bulls are determined to put that 1-0 defeat behind them on Friday night and keep all three points at home against TSG Hoffenheim.

Hoffenheim, currently third, are the next side standing in Leipzig’s way in the race for the Champions League. A win would see RBL draw level with the Kraichgau club and break the 50-point mark at the same time. VfB Stuttgart, in fourth on 50 points, would then need to respond against Augsburg two days later.

“It’s a very tight race. The key is to stay focused on ourselves and make the important steps forward in this decisive phase of the season,” said Ole Werner after the Stuttgart game. Leipzig only recently showed against Augsburg that they can hit back when the pressure is on.

All out for three points

Our coach sees Hoffenheim as a side very much on Leipzig’s level this season: “They’ve been right there with us all year. In the key moments, we need to show more quality than we did against Stuttgart.”

That also means being more clinical in front of goal: Leipzig hit the woodwork twice on Sunday evening. “We have to be honest with ourselves and say we weren’t clinical enough in the box in the first half. We had clear chances to score. With the efforts that hit the woodwork, there was a bit of bad luck involved too,” said Willi Orbán.

The Red Bulls have scored twice in each of their last three Bundesliga home games. In the 2-1 win over Augsburg, RBL kept pushing until the ball finally hit the net for a second time. That same mentality will be needed again on Friday night at the Red Bull Arena.

Another 3-1 on the cards?

The head-to-head record makes for encouraging reading: RB Leipzig have won 12 of their 21 meetings with Hoffenheim, with four matches ending level. And at the Red Bull Arena, there has usually been little for the visitors to take away – eight of the 11 home games against TSG have ended in Leipzig wins.

Hoffenheim won the reverse fixture 3-1, while the meeting prior to that in Leipzig saw Red Bulls prevail by the same scoreline. In general, recent meetings between the two sides have tended to produce goals – which should set the scene for another entertaining game. RBL would certainly have no objections to another 3-1 home victory.

TSG in a slight dip

Like RBL, TSG were left frustrated by their result on matchday 26. Christian Ilzer’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by second-bottom VfL Wolfsburg. Hoffenheim were well on top, finishing with a 22-5 shot count, but a late equaliser from Grischa Prömel was all they had to show for it.

“There are spells like this when things just don’t come quite so easily. Wolfsburg threw themselves into everything. We’ll come through it together and keep working hard,” midfielder Prömel said afterwards.

TSG are going through a slight dip in form, with just one win from their last four games. “We have to be careful not to fall into a frustration trap and become too self-critical,” said Ilzer, who was in the dugout for his 50th Bundesliga match with Hoffenheim.

Hoffenheim’s talisman

Andrej Kramarić has been part of the Hoffenheim setup for far longer still. He has worn the shirt of the Kraichgau club since 2016 and has now made 312 Bundesliga appearances. The Croatia international has scored 136 times for Hoffenheim in the top flight to date.

At the end of January 2026, Kramarić moved up the list of the Bundesliga’s highest-scoring foreign players. His goal in the 3-1 win over Union Berlin on matchday 20 was his 134th in the competition, taking him past former Bundesliga great Giovane Elber on 133. Robert Lewandowski on 312 and Claudio Pizarro on 197 still look well out of reach.

With ten goals and five assists, Andrej Kramarić has the most goal contributions at Hoffenheim this season. He has three goals and two assists in 20 appearances against the Red Bulls – Leipzig’s defence will therefore need to pay particularly close attention to the 34-year-old.

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