Borussia Dortmund – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim: Haaland Hacks Hoffenheim Hopes (3-2)

Another defensive horror show and another defeat on the horizon, but the same saviour emerged. As has now become custom, Erling Haaland was on target to bail Dortmund out after sloppy defending saw them concede an equalizer at the death, however, serious questions remain for Marco Rose’s side. Meanwhile, it would be justifiable for Sebastian Hoeneß to feel that his side had been robbed of at least a draw, after a strong performance.

Tactical analysis and match report by Manasvin Andra.

While not being one of the Bundesliga’s glamour ties, Dortmund versus Hoffenheim is a game that has generally produced great entertainment over the past few seasons. In 2019, we saw one of the craziest games of the season as the two participated in a 3-3 stalemate, while there was also the incredible 4-0 shellacking where Andrej Kramarić scored four times. Later, we saw a 2-2 draw during the tenure of Edin Terzić, where Hoffenheim actually beat Dortmund on expected goals. The amount of goals a team is expected to score based on the quality of the shots they take. All of this had contrived to make this clash one of the most exciting ties in the German football season, a status that the present edition looked to carry.

Dortmund lined up in a 4-4-2 diamond formation, with Raphaël Guerreiro and Thomas Meunier making welcome returns at the fullback spots. The central defensive duo consisted of Manuel Akanji and Axel Witsel, with Mahmoud Dahoud in the . . .