Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur: UEFA Europa League probable squads, match stats and LIVE blog!

Hoffenheim face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday looking to build on their recent Bundesliga win against Holstein Kiel with big points at stake for their hopes of progressing to the knockout round play-offs (kick-off: 18.45 CET).

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Hoffenheim’s 3-1 win away to Holstein Kiel at the weekend was their first since boss Christian Ilzer’s first game in charge when they won 4-3 against RB Leipzig at the end of November. In that period they lost six times and drew three in all competitions before ending their winless run against Kiel thanks to a brace from Adam Hložek and a goal from Andrej Kramarić. They remain a lowly 15th in the Bundesliga but have ended a run of three straight defeats ahead of a tantalizing Europa League clash. They currently sit 26th in the continental competition with six points, just one point short of the crucial cut-off point of 24th, which grants progression to a play-off for the knockout rounds. Having not won a game in this competition since October (2-0 against Dynamo Kyiv), Ilzer’s side will see this as a great opportunity to return to winning in front of their fans with a major European scalp. The Austrian coach has his options narrowed by an ongoing long injury list, with some fears at the start of the week that two players who picked up complaints in the win in Kiel – Erencan Yardımcı and Anton Stach – would join the group of absent. .

Tottenham are also in 15th place at home, with their season so far plagued by injuries and inconsistency. They have won just one of their last 10 in the league, a 5-0 win over Southampton at the start of December. Since then, they have tasted defeat five times and drawn once, with injuries to key players – such as former Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Van – contributing to their slide down the table. Their last league game came against Everton, where they lost 3-2 and found themselves three goals down at the break. Despite being winless in their last three in this competition, a win would give them a chance to leapfrog the play-off places and go straight into the last 16. Former Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen star Son Heung-min is set to captain Tottenham, but on-loan Leipzig forward Timo Werner will not feature on his return to Germany after recently picking up a thigh injury.

Clock: Holstein Kiel 1-3 Hoffenheim – highlights

Match statistics

• Kramarić is Hoffenheim’s seven-goal Bundesliga top scorer so far in 2024/25 but is yet to add to his eight Europa League goals from previous campaigns.
• Hoffenheim are chasing a first win against English opposition after UEFA Champions League losses to Liverpool (2017/18 qualification) and Manchester City (2018/19 groups).
• Hoffenheim are competing in their third season of Europa League football. Their best run took them to the round of 32 in 2020/21.
• Werner scored 102 goals across 257 Bundesliga games for VfB Stuttgart and Leipzig.
• Tottenham have a mixed record against the 10 German clubs they have previously faced in European competition, winning 14, drawing four and losing 12.
• Ange Postecoglou’s only previous encounters with Bundesliga teams ended in defeat. The Australian oversaw 3-1 and 2-0 defeats to Leipzig in the 2022/23 group stage while in charge of Celtic.

Probable Teams

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) – Gendrey, Chaves, Akpoguma, Prass – Stach, Bischof – Hložek, Kramarić, Moerstedt – Tabaković
Out: Bebou (knee), Bülter (thigh), Kabak (knee), Lenz (calf), Orban (not eligible), Prömel (knee), Samassekou (thigh), Tohumcu (ankle), Yardımcı (not eligible)
Questionable: –
Coach: Christian Ilzer

Tottenham: Forster – Gray, Drăgușin, Davies – Porro, Sarr, Bergvall, Spence – Kulusevski, Maddison – Son (c)
Out: Bentancur (concussion), Johnson (leg), Kinsky (not eligible), Romero (thigh), Solanke (knee), Udogie (thigh), Van de Ven (thigh), Vicario (ankle), Werner (thigh)
Questionable: –
Coach: Ange Postecoglou

LIVE blog!

Baumann decided

Hoffenheim’s German international goalkeeper Oliver Baumann urged his teammates to use last weekend’s victory to push them to greater things this season. “This was the first step in the right direction,” said the TSG captain. “We had good energy, a lot of passion and were there for each other. We were a cohesive unit. The direction is clear and so is the meaning of this victory. I am relieved; it should give us confidence and courage.”

© IMAGO

Hložek picks them up

Adam Hložek is Hoffenheim’s top scorer in the Europa League with two goals, and he took his Bundesliga tally to five with Saturday’s decisive double against Kiel.

© IMAGO/Oliver Zimmermann

Tottenham challenge

Spurs have struggled in the English Premier League of late, with Thursday’s visitors in Germany winning just once in their last 10 top-flight games and losing seven. Their latest setback came in a 3-2 loss against Everton at the weekend. In the Europa League, Ange Postecoglou’s side are currently in ninth place with three wins and two draws from their six matches.

© IMAGO/07803 169048

Still hunting

TSG have picked up six points from their six Europa League games to date, and although Christian Ilzer currently occupies one of the knockout places in the league phase of the tournament, Christian Ilzer’s side are just one point off the play-off places for the last 16.

© IMAGO/Oliver Zimmermann

2:03

Much needed win

Hoffenheim were nine games without a win in all competitions prior to last weekend’s 3-1 win over fellow Bundesliga strugglers Holstein Kiel. The result lifted Sinsheimer three points clear of a relegation play-off place and brought some much needed morale.

Welcome!

Thank you for joining us for the build-up and live coverage of Hoffenheim’s seventh UEFA Europa League match of the 2024/25 league stage away to Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.