Following Hoffenheim’s win in their rescheduled match at Werder Bremen on Tuesday night, Christian Ilzer’s team sit third in the Bundesliga table – seemingly riding the crest of a wave that shows no sign of dissipating any time soon.
Die Kraichgauer’s rise this season should be described as nothing short of remarkable. After languishing in the lower reaches of the Bundesliga table for much of last season, Hoffenheim finished in a disappointing 15th-place, just three points above the relegation play-off spot.
In an attempt to improve their fortunes, the club, backed by software billionaire Dietmar Hopp, had a summer of rebuilding – making a total of nine first team signings throughout the transfer window. Most of whom have made a positive impact, particularly the likes of Wouter Burger (€4m from Stoke City) as well as three astute free transfers: full-backs Bernardo and Vladimir Coufal, and forward Tim Lemperle.
Hoffenheim overcome Champions League competition
Having tasted victory in their last six home games, Hoffenheim’s form at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena has been critical to their impressive first half of the season. In those six home games they comfortably dispatched of direct rivals RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen, as well as putting a total of nine goals past Hamburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Their away form has been similarly strong, with six wins and just one defeat showing how increasingly difficult to beat they have become.
Following the summer rebuild, Hoffenheim’s players very rarely have an off day – but when they do, it tends not to matter. Sharing the goals around the team more effectively than any other team, with 10 different players finding the net this season. With top scorers Andrej Kramarić and Fisnik Asllani sat on seven goals apiece, supported by Tim Lemperle (six), Grischa Prömel (six) and Wouter Burger (five) backing them up.
Aside from sitting behind only Bayern Munich in the scoring charts, they are also rock solid at the back with only 22 goals conceded – the league’s third best defensive record. Notably, this success has come through the recruitment of players deemed surplus to requirements elsewhere, see Bernardo and Coufal.
Taken together, these factors underline why Hoffenheim’s rise has been both sustainable and convincing. Whether they can maintain this level until the end of the season is anyone’s guess, but at present there is little to suggest a significant downturn. With European football appearing a realistic objective, they find themselves a year ahead of schedule in Ilzer’s self-publicised five-year plan to turn Hoffenheim into a Bundesliga powerhouse.
GGFN | Harry Good
