Bottom team SC Paderborn 07 welcomes TSG Hoffenheim at the Benteler-Arena on May 23, 2020, as the German Bundesliga 1 league goes to its second week of action since the coronavirus pandemic halted its 2019-20 season two month ago.
This week 27 matchup features relegation-strugglers who didn’t get a victory in their first match after the 60-day suspension. Paderborn is coming off a scoreless draw against Fortuna while Hoffenheim heads to this match after being shut out by Hertha Berlin 3-0 in last weekend’s match.
SC Paderborn 07 is the worst team in the German Bundesliga 1 this season. Paderborn is dead last in the Bundesliga 1 table with only 30 points. They have scored only 30 goals this season while already giving up a total of 54 goals to their opponents. Overall, Paderborn has four wins, five draws, and 17 losses on the season.
In their last outing, Paderborn held Fortuna to a scoreless 0-0 draw in their most recent outing. They only had one shot at goal and zero corner kicks while completing 83% of their passes and gaining 47% of ball possession.
Mamba leads the team with a total of five goals scored while Srbeny has four goals of his own. Kai Proger leads the team with six assists while Kilian is the only player for Paderborn who is on the injured list.
Even though they still have more than enough games to stave off relegation, Paderborn has been playing bad all season long and I don’t think that they have enough depth or quality to finish the season strong.
Paderborn has not won in its last seven league matches and they have suffered five defeats during that period. They are a far ten points from safety and are six points behind Fortuna who occupy the relegation playoff spot.
Hoffenheim is ranked 9th in the current Bundesliga 1 table with 35 points and they are just four points away from qualifying for the Europa League. The squad has four wins, eight losses, and three draws in the last six months and they are winless in their last six outings.
Hoffenheim is coming off a 0-3 defeat at the hands of Hertha Berlin in their last match played. They had a total of 18 shots in that match but only two were on target. Hoffenheim also had seven corner kicks while controlling 51% of ball possession and being 82% accurate with their passes.
Kramaric is Hoffenheim’s leading scorer this season with a total of seven goals but he will not play in this match due to injury. Also missing this game for Hoffenheim are Ishak Belfodil, Sargis Adamyan, and Munas Dabbur.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim is just four points from Europa League qualification but the problem for them is that all the teams ahead of them in the table are playing better football right now.
With the kind of defense they showed against Hertha Berlin, they are destined to finish in the middle. They may be safe from relegation but they don’t appear to be headed to the Europa League as well.
Steffen Baugmart’s side has enjoyed promotions in back to back seasons. However, it’s fair to say that they have not been able to adapt to the quality of Germany’s top tier. Paderborn has scored more goals than the two teams directly ahead of them in the table but they have the 2nd worst defense in the division this term.
SC Paderborn has won only two out of 13 home matches this season. They have scored only once in those 13 matches and gave up at least one goal in 10 of them. They have lost four consecutive home matches across all competitions and they have not scored in their last three head to head matches against Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim is playing away from home here but with the health and safety measures being put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, this match will be played without a crowd, negating what could have been Paderborn’s only advantage ( if you look at it that way ) against them. Likewise, Hoffenheim has lost just twice in their last 11 away games so this is a squad that is solid on the road.
Please Note
TSG Hoffenheim has outscored Paderborn by an aggregate score of 7-0 in their five meetings in the top two tiers of German football. In their last match held on January 11, 2019, Hoffenheim blanked SC Paderborn 3-0. Hoffenheim leads their all-time series with four wins and one draw.
Both these teams are struggling right now and Hoffenheim heads to the Benteler Arena after suffering a defeat in their most recent match played. But Hoffenheim is a talented team if they can put things together and play consistent football. They have never lost to Paderborn before and I don’t think that will change.
When you have a matchup between two teams who aren’t playing at their best right now, you have to go with the more talented team. There is no question that Hoffenheim is more talented than Paderborn and I think they will pick up the win in Week 27.
Prediction: Hoffenheim (+116)
Over 3
-109
Under 3
-111
Odds from BetOnline as of 05/21/2020
SC Paderborn is scoring an average of 1.31 goals per match. This season, Hoffenheim’s away matches have averaged only 2.33 goals per game and their last three matches have yielded under 2.5 goals. And Paderborn has never scored a goal against Hoffenheim in five all-time meetings.
Prediction: Over 3 goals (-111)
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