The race for the third spot heats up as fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund will host third-placed Hoffenheim, who lead the hosts by just a single point. So a win would be crucial for both of these sides as they seek direct qualification for the Champions League. Dortmund spent a goalless ninety minutes away at Koln last week, whilst TSG just edged past domestic cup finalists Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 at home.
Tuchel’s men should be focused ahead of this big counter and here is the predicted Dortmund lineup to face Hoffenheim this Saturday.
Predicted 4-1-4-1 Borussia Dortmund Lineup Vs Hoffenheim
Goalkeeper: Roman Burki kept a clean sheet last week but that is mostly down to the dull Koln attack, who basically managed nothing in the offence. However, the Swiss will expect a busier afternoon against a sharp attacking TSG side in this game.
Right Back: Lukasz Piszczek’s experience will be vital for the home side and especially against the likes of Steven Zuber and Andrej Kramaric roaming on the flanks.
Center Back(R): Sokratis Papastathopoulos will lead his sides’ defence against TSG. The Greek centre-back has been amazing for the Black and Yellows this season.
Center Back(L): Sven Bender will be picked ahead of Matthias Ginter as the left-sided centre-back. The 28-year-old defender has proved his defensive credibility with some amazing performances in the last few matches.
Left Back: Marcel Schmelzer has been in great form of late. The 29-year-old fullback has finally managed to find a rhythm on the left flank and that will be crucial against Hoffenheim, who themselves boast some strong wingers.
Central Defensive Midfielder: Julian Weigl has once again been a vital cog in their midfield this season. His influence in the Dortmund team seems to get bigger by the game. No doubt he will have another big role in keeping the shape of midfield against this weekend’s opponents.
Right Midfield: Ousmane Dembele will be a justified starter on the right wing. The Frenchman made a quick impact after coming on in the second half albeit his form started to fade away after just ten minutes.
Central Midfield: Shinji Kagawa’s ability to sneak past the opposition defence makes him arguably the most important Dortmund player for their clash against Julian Nagelsmann’s Hoffenheim, who like to break the rhythm of the opposition.
Central Midfield: Raphael Guerreiro seems to be the perfect man to accompany Kagawa in the offensive zones. The Portuguese has been a saviour for Dortmund in the past few matches, coming up with some brilliance in the last few moments of the previous games.
Left Midfield: Marco Reus looked terribly out of sorts against Koln last week. He made numerous false attempts and was declared offside a couple of times. His form will affect the performance of the home side in terms of offensive creativity
Striker: Pierre-EmerickAubameyang will look to focus on overtaking Robert Lewandowski for the league’s top scorers crown. He currently trails the Polish International by just one goal.
