TSG Hoffenheim vs Manchester City Predictions

Hoffenheim made it to the Champions League group stages for the first time in their history this season, just a year after their first ever European qualification after finishing 3rd in the 2017/18 Bundesliga. That was followed by a heavy exit from the Champions League playoffs at the hands of eventual finalists Liverpool last season, but this term they managed to go one better and get to the promised land of the group stages.

It could have started a lot worse for them as well. They went up against Champions League regulars Shakhtar Donetsk away from home last month, taking the lead in Ukraine twice but eventually having to settle for a 2-2 draw after Maycon’s 81st minute equaliser.

Progression from this group will undoubtedly be a tough task, especially after Lyon’s shock win at the Etihad put them in prime position to accompany group favourites Manchester City. However, their draw in Ukraine does open the door quite a bit wider for a 3rd place finish, and they will be hoping to exploit the same weaknesses that Lyon found in the first round of matches.

Unfortunately for Hoffenheim, one of those weaknesses was the lack of Pep Guardiola on the touchline. The Manchester City manager will be back in the dugout on Tuesday, and he has seen his side respond to that deserved loss to Lyon in rather emphatic style.

The weekend after that failure saw them demolish Cardiff 5-0 away from home, and a 3-0 win at Oxford in the League Cup was taken at a canter. A 2-0 win over Brighton followed most recently, and with Guardiola back it would be a huge surprise if they performed as badly again as they did last month .

To make matters worse for the German hosts, they aren’t actually playing that well at the moment. They have won just three of their eight competitive games this season, and one of those was a DFB Pokal clash against Kaiserslautern. They have drawn two and lost three, and their most recent outing was a 2-1 defeat at home to RB Leipzig.

Undoubtedly, Hoffenheim’s issues lie at the back. They have conceded 13 goals in these eight games and are yet to keep a clean sheet, although in fairness they have scored in all eight too and have netted 18 goals in the process.

Manchester City, meanwhile, have conceded in four of their eight games so far, so while they are overwhelming favourites to take the three points on Tuesday, we think their chances of conceding are pretty high too. For this reason, backing a Manchester City Win and Both Teams to Score bet looks our favoured option, along with a 2-1 correct score predictions.