UEFA Europa League 26/27 · Round 2 ·
TSG Hoffenheim vs Besiktas Istanbul preview: Hoffenheim host Besiktas with contrasting early form
Hoffenheim welcome Besiktas to the SNP Arena in Sinsheim with the two sides carrying very different early-season records. The visitors have won their opening match 4-1 while Hoffenheim lost 2-0, a gap the market prices at 48% for a home win.
By 10xSharp · Published
This preview was published before kickoff. The match has finished: see the result and full stats. Read the match report.
Injury news
Hoffenheim are missing two defenders, Albian Hajdari and Kelven Frees, both listed as injury. Besiktas have no unavailable players listed, so their squad is unchanged from the opening win.
Players to watch
Besiktas spread their goals across three players in the opening match. Ernest Poku, Vaclav Cerny and Ilhan Fakili each scored once, with each contributing 25% of the team's goals in this competition. Hoffenheim have no scorers to watch after failing to score in their first match.
Form
Besiktas arrive in far better shape, having won their only league match so far. Hoffenheim lost theirs, and their recent run is worse still: they have lost their last three matches in all competitions. Besiktas have won five of their last six matches, scoring 19 goals in that run.
Table position
Besiktas sit 4th with 3 points from their opening match, while Hoffenheim are 29th with 0 points. Hoffenheim have yet to play at home this season, and Besiktas have yet to play away, so neither side has a venue record to compare.
Head to head
There is no head-to-head history between these two clubs, so this fixture offers no past meetings to draw on.
Attack
Besiktas scored 4 goals in their opening match, a rate well above the league average of 1.31 per team. Hoffenheim failed to score, leaving them well below that same average. The contrast is stark: Besiktas hold a large attacking edge.
Defense
Hoffenheim conceded 2 goals in their opening match, worse than the league average of 1.31. Besiktas conceded just 1, marginally better than that average. The visitors hold the defensive edge, though their advantage is smaller than their attacking one.
Shots
Besiktas average 5.71 shots on target per match compared to Hoffenheim's 5.0. Hoffenheim see more of their shots blocked, 4.0 per match against 4.29 for the visitors, though the difference is narrow.
Goal timing
Besiktas score most heavily in three separate windows: the opening 15 minutes, the 46-60 minute band and the final 15 minutes, each accounting for 25% of their goals. Hoffenheim have not scored yet this season, so their attacking timing is blank. Hoffenheim concede evenly across the 16-30 and 76-90 minute windows, with 50% of their goals against in each.
Goal lines
Besiktas's opening match went over 2.5 goals, and their season record shows 100% of matches over 2.5. Hoffenheim's opening match stayed under 2.5, with their season over-rate at 0%. The two sides produce very different goal environments so far.
Verdict
Besiktas arrive with the sharper attack, the tighter defence and the better recent form. Hoffenheim are winless in three and have not scored in their league opener. The market prices a home win at 48%, but the underlying numbers point more strongly to the visitors.