Matchday 8 of the 2024/25 Europa League group stage will see Anderlecht (Belgium) face Hoffenheim (Germany) on January 30 at Lotto Park in Brussels. Anderlecht vs. Hoffenheim: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Anderlecht
In the last round, David Hubers' team suffered their first defeat in the Europa League group stage, losing 0-2 to Viktoria Plzen. This result ended their 10-match unbeaten run in the Europa League (6 wins, 4 draws). Anderlecht is currently in 7th place in the standings with 14 points. The club has already secured a playoff spot, but dropping points in the upcoming match could cost them a top-8 position in the group stage.
Key forward Kasper Dolberg and key midfielder Samuel Edozie will miss the game due to health issues. Defender Jan Vertonghen is still recovering from an injury.
- The team has not conceded more than one goal in regular time in 4 of their last 5 home matches in this tournament.
- Anderlecht has not lost after 90 minutes in their last 6 home games in the Europa League (3 wins, 3 draws).
- No more than three goals have been scored in regular time in 4 of the club's last 5 home matches in this European competition.
Hoffenheim
In the previous round, Christian Ilzer's side lost 2-3 to Tottenham. The club has won only once in 7 matches in the group stage of the Europa League (3 draws, 3 losses). The team is in 28th place in the standings, 3 points behind the playoff zone. Hoffenheim still has a theoretical chance to continue in this European competition. To advance to the next round, the club needs to win the last game of the group stage (preferably by a large margin) and hope for slip-ups from their competitors.
Key goalkeeper Oliver Baumann and forward Haris Tabakovic will miss the game due to health issues. Midfielders Diadie Samassekou and Umut Deger Tohumcu are still recovering from injuries.
- No more than three goals have been scored in regular time in the club's last 5 away matches in this tournament.
- At least one team failed to score in regular time in 4 of Hoffenheim's last 5 away matches in the Europa League.
- The club has not scored more than one goal in regular time in their last 4 away games in this European competition.
Predicted lineups for Anderlecht vs. Hoffenheim
Anderlecht (4-3-3): Colin Coosemans – Ali Maamar, Ludwig Augustinsson, Jan-Carlo Simic, Thomas Foket – Mats Rits, Leander Dendoncker, Theo Leoni – Tristan Degreif, Luis Vasquez, Nilson Angulo.
Hoffenheim (4-4-2): Oliver Baumann – David Jurasek, Stanley Nsoki, Kevin Akpoguma, Pavel Kaderabek – Tom Bischof, Finn Ole Becker, Anton Stach, Adam Hlozek – Max Moerstedt, Andrej Kramaric.
Each team's starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili (Georgia)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 24;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 0%.
Anderlecht vs. Hoffenheim: Match Prediction
Anderlecht regularly finds the net in home games in the Europa League. The club scored in their last 4 home matches in this tournament, scoring exactly twice on 3 occasions during this period. Hoffenheim doesn't score much in away Europa League games but also doesn't often allow opponents to keep a clean sheet. The club scored in 6 of their last 9 away matches in this European competition. However, their defense has been weaker, conceding in their last 4 away games in the Europa League, with opponents scoring twice in 3 of those matches.
Both teams have tournament motivations. Hoffenheim needs to earn 3 points against the Belgian club to reach the Europa League playoffs. Moreover, the Germans should aim for a big win, as goal difference will be compared in case of equal points. Anderlecht will likely also aim for victory in this match, as such a result will maintain their position in the top eight.
The clubs are determined to collect maximum points in this match, so they are unlikely to sit back. I anticipate that both teams will score. My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
