The Kraichgau said have not lost a match since their own 2-0 defeat against Dortmund on matchday thirteen, and have climbed to third in the table, with twelve wins and only four losses.

This can be attributed, among other things, to the second-best attack in the league. Notably, their success in front of goal cannot be attributed to one or two individual strikers, but rather the entire team. Four different players share top-scorers duties with six goals each.

But TSG should not be underestimated defensively either. With their high intensity play, their stable defence have conceded only 22 goals this season, the third-best record in the league. A significant contribution to this has been in the performances of Vladimir Coufal, who ranks first in the league in sprints, intensive runs, and total kilometers covered.

After 13 meetings so far, Union still have a slight edge. Saturday's guests have won six, while Hoffenheim's win at the Alte Försterei earlier in the season increased their total wins to five. The teams have only drawn twice; there has never been a 0-0.

Several players on both sides will be coming up against former teammates. Union have three players with a history in Kraichgau in Stanley Nsoki, Robert Skov, and Janik Haberer.

Two players on the Hoffenheim side share a notable Union past, meanwhile. Grischa Prömel played a significant role at Union between 2017 and 2022. In his 141 appearances, the midfielder scored 20 goals and was a key member of the Union team that achieved promotion to the Bundesliga. Fisnik Asllani went through a large part of the youth academy in Köpenick where he first attracted attention in the junior Bundesligas with his remarkable scoring rates.

Tom Rothe, Robert Skov and Josip Juranović will not be in the Union squad for the match against TSG.

“Hoffenheim are currently one of the best teams in the league, as they have a clear plan that they consistently implement on the pitch," said Union head coach, Steffen baumgart, during his press conference on Thursday afternoon. "Strong counter-pressing, second balls won, and a solid aerial game characterise the Kraichgauer. In the last game, we conceded goals against them too easily, and we want to avoid that at all costs on Saturday. The goal is to neutralise the opponent’s strengths for as long as possible and to bring our qualities to the pitch with high intensity from the start.”

For the away match at the PreZero Arena, about 1,400 Union supporters will travel to Sinsheim. The Union mobile Zeughaus will also be on site. Information regarding the stadium visit can be found here.