Borussia Dortmund vs Hoffenheim - Predictions, Betting Odds & Picks
Borussia Dortmund vs Hoffenheim – Predictions, Betting Odds & Picks
Dortmund made sure of second place last weekend but will still want to finish on a high
Hoffenheim can climb above Wolfsburg and into sixth place – which would not be insignificant
This should be a tight encounter but Dortmund will expect to shade it
What to watch Borussia Dortmund vs Hoffenheim
Where Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
When Saturday, 27 June 2020, 9.30 AM EST
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It was a winner-takes-all encounter at the Red Bull Arena last weekend, and Borussia Dortmund came out on top. A loss to host RB Leipzig would have put Julian Nagelsmann's men in pole position to secure a runners-up finish behind Bayern Munich, but Dortmund turned in an impressive display and recorded a 2-0 victory thanks to a brace from teen sensation Erling Haaland.
A draw would have been sufficient for Dortmund to remain in the ascendancy in the battle for second, but settling for a point was never going to be Lucien Favre's approach. That was particularly the case given what happened a few days prior when BVB suffered a shock home defeat by Mainz to bring its three-match winning streak to an abrupt end. Favre would have been particularly pleased with the manner of the triumph over Leipzig – Dortmund thoroughly deserved all three points after racking up an xG of 3.12 compared to its opponent's 1.04.
The evidence is patchy on whether ending a season strongly bodes well for the next campaign, but Favre will be desperate to finish 2019/20 on a high given the uncertainty surrounding his future. A win here would move Dortmund onto 72 points, four short of last term's tally but 17 more than the club managed under the leadership of Peter Bosz and Peter Stoger in 2017/18.
Hoffenheim has its own reason for wanting all three points. Victory here could move it into the sixth spot, which would mean direct entry to the Europa League group stage rather than the qualifying rounds that the seventh spot entails. A narrow defeat looks more likely, though.
Borussia Dortmund vs Hoffenheim Odds
Handicap – Spread 0-1 Odds
Borussia Dortmund +160
Hoffenheim +110
Odds taken from BetMGM.
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It took until second-half stoppage time for Dortmund to add its second goal against RB Leipzig last time out. Had Haaland not struck late on, it would have been the third time in four games that BVB had emerged victorious by a single-goal margin.
Hoffenheim is capable of causing Dortmund problems and it will be buoyed by back-to-back successes against Augsburg and Union Berlin. Ultimately, though, it should come unstuck at Signal Iduna Park, which makes a tie in the 0-1 handicap market an appealing option.
Dortmund Is Clearly the Bundesliga's Second-Best Team – But Is That Enough?
Provided both teams win on Saturday, Dortmund will finish 10 points behind Bayern Munich, which made sure of the title last week. Bayern was as low as seventh in the standings after 14 rounds of games this term, but its astonishing form under Hansi Flick has seen the perennial German champion pull clear of the chasing pack in recent months.
An inconsistent start to the season meant it was always going to be difficult for Dortmund to take advantage of Bayern's early struggles; indeed, it was Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig that were most culpable for failing to capitalize. Dortmund has also improved greatly in 2020, although a 10-point gap between it and Bayern is significantly larger than last year's four-point margin.
That is why Favre could find himself seeking new employment ahead of next season. Dortmund is not in the same league as Bayern financially and it should not be expected to finish above it in the table, but there are questions to be asked of whether Favre is the man to take the club forward.
Hoffenheim Continues to Punch Above Weight Even After a Managerial Change
In what was a rare development, then-Hoffenheim boss Nagelsmann announced in summer 2018 that he would move to RB Leipzig at the end of the upcoming season. There were concerns among some Hoffenheim fans that the team – which is from a small village and owes its position in the top flight to the investment of Dietmar Hopp – would drop down the table following the talented young manager's exit.
Yet Hoffenheim has succeeded in retaining its place in the European spots. Interim boss Matthias Kaltenbach deserves credit for sterling the club into the Europa League after the departure of Alfred Schreuder earlier this month.
Dortmund Should Edge This Game but Do Not Expect a Thrashing
Dortmund demolished last-placed Paderborn 6-1 at the end of May, and its first game back after the hiatus was a thumping 4-0 win against arch-rivals Schalke. However, it has certainly been more common for BVB to triumph by one or two goals since a 4-3 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen in February, which is largely a result of its tightening up at the back.
Hoffenheim has found the net in all but one of its last seven outings and certainly has a decent chance of doing so here. In the end, though, Dortmund should find a way to eke out another win and end the season on a high note.
Take the Tie option here – given that Hoffenheim have something to play for they should push Dortmund hard, but a narrow victory for the host looks like the most likely outcome.
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