Gent and Hoffenheim meet at GHELAMCO ‑ arena, in a match for this stage of the UEFA Europa League (Group Stage). These two teams have never met before, so this will be their first head-to-head. In this match the home factor may be decisive, as Gent presents considerable differences in their results at home and as a visitor.
Gent :
The home team plays its second game in Group L, after losing (1‑0) in their first match in this group stage, against Slovan Liberec. This is a stronger team with the support of its fans, since in the last 30 games it has recorded 4 wins, 2 draws and 9 losses as a visitor; against 7 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses in his stadium. In their last match, for the Pro League, they lost to Genk at home by (1‑2). In their last 10 home games Gent has recorded 5 wins and 5 losses. Their defense has not been very strong, as they have suffered goals in 9 of the last 10 matches, but their offense has scored regularly, as they have scored goals in 8 of the last 10 matches. In their home matches there is a tendency to score goals, since in 20 of their last 21 matches there were Over 1.5 goals and in 15 of the last 21 there were Over 2.5 goals. In 10 games, they suffered the first goal 6 times and never got the comeback. In the last 8 home matches for all competitions there is 1 period that stands out: they have conceded 5 of their 11 goals between minutes (76′ ‑ 90 ‘).
Gent arrives unmotivated for this match after a home defeat, by 1-2, against Genk. Thus, the Belgian club is going through a terrible time with six defeats in the last seven games played. The home team usually plays in a 5-3-2 tactical system, favoring a more internal style of play. In this design, the two most advanced men responsible for launching panic on the opponent’s defense are Laurent Depoitre and Roman Yaremchuk. Coach Wim De Decker will be without Alexandre De Bruyn due to injury.
Hoffenheim :
The away team plays its second match in Group L, after having won (2‑0) in their first match in this group stage, against Crvena Zvezda. This is a team little affected by the home factor, that is, it presents similar results at home and away, since in the last 30 games it has recorded 6 wins, 6 draws and 3 losses as a visitor, with 27 goals scored and 17 suffered; against 9 victories and 6 defeats in his stadium, with 31 goals scored and 26 suffered. In their last game, for the Bundesliga, they drew in an away draw with Werder Bremen by (1‑1). In their last 10 away matches Hoffenheim has 5 wins, 4 draws and 1 loss. The team allowed the opponent goals in 9 of the last 10 matches, so their defense needs to improve, but their offense has scored regularly as they have scored goals in 9 of the last 10 matches. In their home matches there is a tendency for goals, since 15 of the last 17 matches have ended with Over 1,5 goals.
Hoffenheim enter this performance after a 1-1 draw away from home, in the visit to the Bremen stadium. The greatest quality of the foreign team is the way in which it manages to create scoring opportunities through the individual competition of its players. The visiting team usually acts in a tactical system in 5-2-3, favoring fast transitions, mainly on the wings. In this design, the three men responsible for panicking the opponent’s defense are Dabbur, Baumgartner, and Bruun Larsen. The Hoffenheim coach is expected to have four absences for this match: Pavel Kaderabek, Konstantinos Stafylidis, Ermin Bicakcic and Benjamin Hubner.
