How will TSG start the 2026 competitive season?
A combination of snowfall and cold weather prevented TSG from kicking off the 2026 competitive season last weekend. Thanks to the midweek fixtures, the wait for Hoffenheim vs. Gladbach tip is short for the Kraichgauers. Christian Ilzer’s team will be playing for points for the first time this calendar year at the PreZero Arena on Wednesday.
Perhaps the freshness will be an advantage, but perhaps not. We tend to lean towards the latter in our Hoffenheim vs. Gladbach prediction – after all, the Bundesliga players had a three-week break from competitive matches over Christmas. In addition, the Foals’ magnificent start to the year is likely to give them extra energy.
Nevertheless, the hosts are clear favorites in the sports betting comparison. For an away win, you currently get Hoffenheim vs. Gladbach odds of 4.00, and in some cases the odds are even higher. This could be a good value bet.
Of course, the Kraichgauers are one of the positive surprises of the current season. Even before the start of this season, 1899 had earned a positive reputation among some experts with many high-scoring test matches. Deservedly so, as everyone can see before the end of the first half of the season.
TSG currently occupies sixth place in the table (27 points). If 1899 wins the rescheduled game against Werder Bremen, Ilzer’s team would even move up to third place. It could have been even better if TSG had been more consistent in winning their home games.
Among all Bundesliga teams, the Kraichgauers are only at the bottom of the upper half of the table (9th) with 1.71 points per home game. In addition, the sixth-placed team ended 44 percent of their appearances at the PreZero Arena with fewer than two goals of their own.
Hoffenheim – Statistics & current form
In the meantime, TSG put together a series of four consecutive wins in the first half of the season. They defeated St. Pauli (3-0), Heidenheim (3-1), Wolfsburg (3-2), and RB Leipzig (3-1) in succession. Each time, the offense shone and scored at least three goals.
After that, the results became more mixed and, up to our Hoffenheim vs. Gladbach tip, 1899 won only two of five possible games in the German top flight (2D, 1L). The two successful matches were against Augsburg (3-0) and HSV (4-1).
The TSG attackers did not have enough goals left for the three other matches. They managed to score one goal against Mainz (1-1), but failed to find the net in the matches against Dortmund (0-2) and Stuttgart (0-0). There is definitely potential in this offense, but consistency is currently lacking.
Remarkable willingness to run
Since last weekend, 14 Bundesliga teams have played one more game than TSG. This is important to note because, ahead of our Hoffenheim vs. Gladbach prediction, the hosts continue to lead the Bundesliga in terms of sprints (2729) and intensive runs (11363).
When the players from the sixth-placed team take to the pitch, it becomes physically challenging. Hoffenheim allows fewer passes per defensive action in the attacking third than any other team in the top German league (9.6 PPDA) and, if necessary, will resort to fouls (206 – the most of any Bundesliga team).
Perhaps it is precisely because of their self-sacrificing style of play that they sometimes lack concentration on the final pass. At least that would explain why seven other Bundesliga teams have more shots on goal per game than the hosts (4.5).
Gladbach – Statistics & current form
Eugen Polanski and his protégés have used the winter break to recover from the end of the previous calendar year. The Foals ended 2025 with two defeats (1-3 vs. Wolfsburg, 0-2 vs. Dortmund). However, this only minimally changed the overall balance sheet under the Polish coach.
Under Polanski, Borussia has a balanced record (5W, 3D, 5L) and has worked its way up to a secure mid-table position. Work is obviously the right keyword here. Gladbach defends as a unit, allows few scoring chances, and has conceded a maximum of one goal in six of its eight previous Bundesliga games.
This shows the positive development that BMG has undergone under the 39-year-old. Overall, the visitors have played 13 Bundesliga matches since Polanski took over. Eight of those ended with the tenth-placed team conceding a maximum of one goal. Six of those eight games have been in the last eight matches.
A surprise winner
No one has ever disputed Florian Neuhaus’s footballing talent, but the 28-year-old hardly got a look-in under Gerardo Seoane. A misstep off the pitch even led to a temporary suspension. Perhaps that was the best mistake of Florian Neuhaus’s life.
The Foals’ number ten trained with the U23s during that time. Eugen Polanski was the coach of that team at the time. Neuhaus is now back in the starting lineup and, like his teammates, is playing at a new level defensively.
Before Hoffenheim’s match against Gladbach, the Foals had already played seven away games. Most of them ended with few goals (10:7). Points were secured away from home mainly thanks to their work against the ball. Only the league leaders from Munich (5) conceded fewer goals away from their own arena than BMG (7).
Hoffenheim – Gladbach Head-to-head record / H2H record
The low Hoffenheim vs. Gladbach odds for “Over 2.5 goals” are closely related to previous encounters. The last match took place on matchday 32 of the previous season. At that time, both teams shared the points after a furious 4-4 draw. With a series of seven consecutive matches in which over 2.5 goals have been scored, the two teams will face each other again at the PreZero Arena.
Hoffenheim – Gladbach Tip
BMG goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas ended the seventh game of the first half of the season without conceding a goal in the home game against Augsburg (4-0) at the start of the year. Only BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel has kept more clean sheets this season (8). Another league game without conceding a goal would be surprising against one of the better Bundesliga offenses, but it is not impossible.
So far, the Foals have finished 43 percent of their Bundesliga away games this season without conceding a goal. They have conceded more than 1.5 goals in only 28 percent of their away games. Borussia’s defense, including goalkeeper Nicolas, regularly does an excellent job.
It remains to be seen how well TSG will come out of the winter break. Gladbach put in an efficient performance in their first competitive game of the new calendar year and have a striker in top form. Haris Tabakovic scored twice to move up to second place in the scoring charts (9 goals). On Wednesday, he travels to TSG – the club from which he was loaned to the Foals.
