Hoffenheim vs Dortmund Prediction 5 September 2026
🔊 Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund head into the second round of the Bundesliga in contrasting moods. The hosts began the season with a defeat to Köln, despite twice taking the lead, while Dortmund comfortably beat Hamburg. However, Borussia's victory was overshadowed by a serious injury to Yannis Konstantelias, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament rupture and will be out for several months. Niko Kovač's side now face a tricky away trip to Sinsheim, where Hoffenheim managed to beat Dortmund last season.
Head-to-Head
📊 Dortmund's overall head-to-head record holds a clear edge, yet trips to Sinsheim have regularly proved difficult for them. Across 38 meetings, Hoffenheim have won nine, Dortmund 19, with ten draws. The two most recent matches in Sinsheim ended differently: Dortmund won 3-2 in April 2025, while in April 2026 the hosts took revenge with a 2-1 victory thanks to a brace from Andrej Kramarić. Four of the last five head-to-head meetings have been decided by a margin of no more than one goal, so an easy afternoon for Dortmund in Sinsheim looks unlikely.
Head-to-head statistics Hoffenheim - Dortmund
Hoffenheim Team Overview
Hoffenheim started the new season with a frustrating defeat to Köln, losing 3-2. Christian Ilzer's side led twice but conceded the decisive goal late on and came away with nothing. The attacking play did leave a positive impression, though - Hoffe scored twice away from home and caused the opposition defence plenty of problems. Adam Daghim and Ozan Kabak were on the scoresheet.
The team now return home, where they can play more aggressively. The main question remains the reliability of the defence - it conceded three against Köln, and now faces Serhou Guirassy and one of the most powerful attacks in the Bundesliga. Andrej Kramarić is particularly important: the Croatian remains one of the club's key figures and has repeatedly been a decisive presence in matches against Dortmund. In April it was his brace from the penalty spot that gave Hoffenheim a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund.
Ahead of the second matchday, Ilzer does have a problem in attack: in the opening round the team had to compensate for the absence of last season's partnership of Fisnik Asllani and Tim Lemperle, leaving the manager to search for the right combination up front. Asllani remains unavailable, while Lemperle has served his suspension and should start on Saturday.
Match Results: Hoffenheim
Borussia Dortmund Team Overview
Dortmund began the season with a convincing 2-0 win over Hamburg. Kovač's side looked particularly strong in the first half, scoring both goals and giving their opponents almost nothing to work with. After the break, though, the tempo dropped, and an injury to Konstantelias was a serious blow to the manager's plans. The 23-year-old Greek had scored his first goal for the club before suffering a cruciate ligament rupture in the second half, and he will now be out for several months.
Borussia moved quickly to address the loss: on the final day of the transfer window, the club signed 19-year-old Ethan Nwaneri on loan from Arsenal. Niko Kovač has already highlighted his pace, technique and ability to play across several attacking positions. That said, the new arrival will need time to settle, so in the next match the main responsibility will fall on the more established players - Serhou Guirassy, Maximilian Beier, Konstantinos Karetsas and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
In the opening round, Kovač fielded several of his summer signings, and in the DFB-Pokal against Hamburger HEBB he made seven changes to the starting XI, which helped keep the key players fresh. Dortmund won that match 5-0, with Samuele Inácio scoring twice. Ahead of the trip to Sinsheim, the manager therefore has plenty of options for rotation, though replacing Konstantelias in the space of a few days is realistically very difficult.
Match Results: Borussia Dortmund
Latest news
Hoffenheim
❌ Alongside Asllani, Alexander Prass will also miss the second round through an adductor injury.
Borussia Dortmund
❌ Borussia's most obvious absentee is Konstantelias. Samuele Inácio will miss the match through suspension after picking up a red card against Hamburg. Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck and Moussa Kaba remain out. Ramy Bensebaini, Justin Lerma and Enzo Dos Santos are all doubts.
🟨 Yellow Cards Prediction
After losing in the opening round, Hoffenheim will likely look to play more aggressively and contest every area of the pitch. Dortmund, on the other hand, will be looking to control the ball and move attacks quickly into the final third. In Sinsheim last season, Hoffenheim picked up two yellow cards and Dortmund three. There are reasonable grounds to expect the upcoming match won't be short on fouls. Bet: Total Yellow Cards - Over 3.5.
⚽ Goals Prediction
The first-round fixtures give reason to expect a high-scoring game. Hoffenheim scored twice against Köln but conceded three at the other end. Dortmund kept a clean sheet against Hamburg, though they have considerably more attacking potential, particularly with Guirassy available. The recent head-to-head record also points in this direction: at least two goals in each of the last five Bundesliga meetings between these sides. Hoffenheim are capable of scoring at home, but the quality of Dortmund's attack makes at least two goals for the visitors a reasonable expectation. Bet: Total Goals - Over 2.5 at odds of 1.49*.
🚩 Corner Kick Prediction
Dortmund may enjoy more possession and spend more time in Hoffenheim's half of the pitch. This creates the conditions for a high number of corners for the visitors, particularly given the activity of their wide players. According to last season's statistics, the Bees averaged 6.8 corners per match compared to 5.4 for Hoffenheim. So even if the hosts put up a reasonably competitive showing, the overall total could still be high. Bet: Total Corners - Over 8.5 at 1.52*.
*Odds are indicative and may vary across different bookmakers.
⭐ Editor's Prediction
Hoffenheim are capable of causing Dortmund real problems, particularly at home. Ilzer's side showed in the opening round that they have a fairly potent attack - even without Asllani and Lemperle - but conceding three goals against Köln was another reminder of their defensive frailties.
Dortmund look the more balanced side and have started the season with two wins, in the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. Even the loss of Konstantelias does not diminish the visitors' attacking threat. Nwaneri's arrival gives Kovač an additional rotation option, and the quality of Guirassy and the other forwards should allow the Bees to exploit Hoffenheim's defensive weaknesses.
My bet: Borussia Dortmund Team Total - Over 1.5 goals. My prediction for the result is a Dortmund win, 2-1.
Will this prediction come true?
No comments
Betting Tips: Hoffenheim - Borussia Dortmund
in 5 of last 6 home games against Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga).
in 29 of last 30 games against Borussia Dortmund.in 27 of last 28 games against Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga).in last 13 home games against Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga).in 12 of last 13 games (Bundesliga).in 33 of last 35 games (Bundesliga).in 18 of last 20 games.in 16 of last 17 away games (Bundesliga).in 9 of last 10 away games.
in 15 of last 16 home games against Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga).in 12 of last 13 games against Borussia Dortmund.in 11 of last 12 games against Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga).in 9 of last 10 games (Bundesliga).in 14 of last 16 Hoffenheim home games against Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga).in 7 of last 8 Borussia Dortmund games (Bundesliga).Comparison of Teams Stats
Other predictions
