Leverkusen, six wins in a row, go to the Hoffenheim side that beat them twice last season
Patrik Schick can score in a seventh straight Bundesliga match. Hoffenheim have won two in a row, the last 3-0 against Lyon on Thursday.
Bayer Leverkusen arrive in Sinsheim on six straight wins in all competitions, the last 2-0 at OFI Crete on Thursday, and three Europa League matches without conceding. They are fourth, a point behind Bayern, and Patrik Schick, who has scored in six Bundesliga matches in a row, can make it seven.
Bayer Leverkusen hold a slight advantage in an open game of three goals or more, with both sides scoring.
Hoffenheim
- 1Robin Hranác
- 2Luca Philipp
- 3Bernardo
- 4Cajetan Lenz
- 5Natnael Abraha
- 6Andrej Kramaric
- 7Max Moerstedt
- 8Bambasé Conté
- 9Valentin Gendrey
Bayer Leverkusen
- 1Malik Tillman
- 2Lucas Vázquez
- 3Janis Blaswich
- 4Tim Oermann
- 5Victor Boniface
- 6Loïc Badé
- 7Jonas Hofmann
- 8Robert Andrich
- 9Afonso Moreira
Conté, listed as doubtful, is among the Hoffenheim substitutes, with Kramaric also on the bench. Leverkusen start Schick up front but leave Andrich, Tillman, Boniface and Hofmann among the substitutes, and Culbreath is not in the squad.
Hoffenheim are thirteenth after four defeats in their first six league games, but the week has turned: a 2-1 win at Mönchengladbach and then 3-0 against Lyon on Thursday, their first Europa League win of the season. Christian Ilzer said simply that Leverkusen are in great form.
Both squads have holes. Hoffenheim are without De Cat, Hajdari and Wimmer, and Conté is a doubt. Leverkusen are without Ben Seghir, Doué, Eichhorn, Kofane and Terrier, and are expected to rotate back after the trip to Crete.
Last season belonged to Hoffenheim in this fixture: 2-1 in Leverkusen in August and 1-0 at home in January, Burger scoring from a direct free kick. Over the longer run Leverkusen lead 21 wins to 10.
