25 August 2021, 16:18 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
German Bundesliga fixture, Borussia Dortmund vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim kicks off at 19:30 (GMT+1) this Friday, August 27 at Signal Iduna Park.
Preview Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga, Aug 27, 2021
Preview A disappointing 2-1 defeat to SC Freiburg saw Dortmund leave the Dreisamstadion with nothing at the end of two halves. An exquisite 30-yard freekick from Vincenzo Grifo (6') gave Christian Streich's side the lead in the opening minutes. Minutes later, Jude Bellingham dribbled through a sea of red shirts but fired straight at Freiburg's goalkeeper, Mark Flekken. In another moment, Roland Sallai (53') doubled the lead for the home side. A cushioned header from the 24-year-old Hungarian, Lucas Höler found him left unmarked in front of goal. Luckily, an own goal from Yannik Keitel (59' O.G.) saw Dortmund cut the deficit down to one. However, they failed to find the second. The defeat leaves Dortmund in 7th place with 3 points and a goal difference of +2 after two games: 1W, 0D & 1L. After the below-par performance on Match Day 2, Marco Rose will hope for a quick return to winning ways. Erling Haaland has failed to find the back of the net since his brace in the 5-2 win over Frankfurt on the opening day of the season. On Friday, the 21-year-old will be on the hunt for his third goal of the season. A 4—3—1—2 formation or its variant in the shape of a 4—3—3 is expected with Haaland serving as the focal point of the attack. In new reports, it became evident Chelsea abandoned their pursuit of Erling Haaland due to the numbers associated with the forward. It was said that super-agent, Mino Raiola had requested £820,000-per-week for Haaland, in a total package of £275M in transfer fees. Raiola also requested an additional £34M in agent fees.
Preview TSG Hoffenheim Bundesliga, Aug 27, 2021
Preview Hoffenheim picked up a point last weekend after failing to hold on to a one-goal lead in what later became a 2-2 draw against Union Berlin. Niko Giesselmann (10') tucked in the rebound after Hoffenheim's goalkeeper, Oliver Baumann redirected the ball into his path. Four minutes later, Hoffenheim's Kevin Akpoguma (14') found the leveller. Andrej Kramaric picked up his fourth assist after playing a through ball for Jacob Bruun Larsen (30') at the half-hour mark for Hoffenheim’s second. But Berlin's Taiwo Awoniyi (47') found the back of the net two minutes after the break. - His second goal of the season which denied Hoffenheim three points. The draw leaves Sebastian Hoeneß's side in 2nd place on the table with 4 points after two games: 1W, 1D & 0L. A 4—4—2 formation with Andrej Kramaric and Dabbur leading the attack is anticipated. Ihlas Bebou tested positive for coronavirus while centre-backs, Havard Nordtveit and Benjamin Hübner remain doubtful for this fixture.