Hoffenheim Vs Nurnberg

On a thrilling Wednesday night, Hoffenheim will host 2. Bundesliga team Nuremberg at the PreZero Arena in the second round of the DFB-Pokal.

Currently, Hoffenheim finds itself in 15th place in the Bundesliga, having played eight matches this season. Meanwhile, Nuremberg is positioned eighth in the second division after ten games.

Match Preview

Florian Grillitsch of Hoffenheim in action during their Europa League clash with Porto on October 24, 2024
© Imago

After a remarkable last season that saw them secure a return to European competition for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign, Hoffenheim has struggled to find their footing at the beginning of this season.

With eight matches played in the Bundesliga, Die Kraichgauer has garnered only eight points, achieving just one victory in their last seven league outings, which came against the bottom-placed Bochum.

The only bright spot for Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side this season has been their performance in Europe, where they have accrued four points from their first three Europa League matches, putting them in a strong position for playoff qualification.

In the DFB-Pokal, Hoffenheim narrowly advanced past the first round, equalizing in the 107th minute against Regionalliga side Wurzburger Kickers, which led to a tense penalty shootout.

Last season, the hosts were eliminated in this round by Borussia Dortmund, who defeated them 3-1. However, Hoffenheim had reached the round of 16 in both of the prior two campaigns.

Nuremberg’s Journey

Nuremberg, on the other hand, has enjoyed a more favorable run in the DFB-Pokal over the past two seasons, reaching the round of 16 last year and the quarter-finals the year before, where they were eliminated by Kaiserslautern and Stuttgart, respectively.

In the 2. Bundesliga, Der Club has had a mixed start to the season, accumulating 16 points from ten matches. Their record stands at five wins, one draw, and four losses so far.

The team enters this match with a significant boost in confidence after an impressive 8-3 victory over Jahn Regensburg last weekend. This triumph marks their third consecutive win, during which they have netted a remarkable 15 goals while conceding six.

The last competitive encounter between Nuremberg and Hoffenheim took place in March 2019, where Nuremberg lost 2-1. This defeat contributed to their relegation at the end of that season, finishing with just 19 points.