The Home Deluxe Arena will host a match this Sunday that looks set to be crucial for two sides who started the season with more shadows than light. SC Paderborn 07, bottom of the table with just 1 point out of a possible 9, host TSG Hoffenheim, who are also going through a rough patch but arrive with a bit more breathing room in the standings. Both sides need a win to avoid falling further behind the rest of the Bundesliga pack.
How Paderborn arrive
The home side is, without a doubt, the team with the worst attacking numbers in the entire league: they haven't scored a single goal in their first three matches. The figures speak for themselves: 0 goals for and 4 against, a record that leaves them in last place with just one point.
In their most recent outing they fell 0-3 away to Borussia Dortmund, and before that they had lost 0-1 at home to SC Freiburg. Their only point of the season came in a goalless 0-0 draw away to Mainz. That's three straight matches without scoring, a run they'll need to reverse as soon as possible if they want to start climbing the table.
How Hoffenheim arrive
TSG Hoffenheim sit in 13th place with 3 points, two more than their upcoming opponents. Their attacking output is notably better than Paderborn's: 6 goals scored, though they've also struggled defensively, conceding 7 goals in just three matchdays.
The visitors come off the back of a win in their last outing, a 2-1 home victory over VfB Stuttgart, a result that snapped a negative run. Before that they had lost 2-3 at home to Borussia Dortmund and also 2-3 away to FC Cologne. With one win and two defeats in their last three matches, Hoffenheim have been inconsistent, but at least their attack has found the net in every game they've played.
The standings and what's at stake
The Bundesliga table shows Bayern Munich at the top with 10 points from 4 matches, closely followed by SC Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund, both on 9 points with a perfect record from their three matches. Further back come Augsburg, RB Leipzig, Elversberg, Leverkusen and Mainz, all fighting to get into the conversation for the top spots.
For Paderborn, this match is practically a must-win final: the gap to the rest of the table is already significant, and they need a win to avoid being completely left behind. Hoffenheim, for their part, while not in the relegation zone, also can't afford another slip-up if they want to move closer to mid-table and put their inconsistent start behind them.
Our take
The numbers suggest the match could be decided by the ability to create danger, something that right now only one of the two sides has shown. Paderborn haven't scored all season, which is worrying ahead of this clash against an opponent that, despite all its defensive flaws, has managed to score in all three of its matches.
We believe the key will be whether the home side manages to break the goalless drought they've carried since the start of the season. If Hoffenheim maintain the attacking form they've shown so far, with 6 goals in 3 matches, they could exploit their rival's struggles to pick up another win and pull away from the bottom of the table.
Kickoff time and where to follow it
The match between SC Paderborn 07 and TSG Hoffenheim will be played at the Home Deluxe Arena this Sunday, September 20. Kickoff times by country are as follows: Spain, 19:30; Mexico City, 11:30; Bogotá and Lima, 12:30; Buenos Aires, 14:30; New York and Miami, 13:30; and Los Angeles, 10:30.
Don't miss a single detail of this direct duel for survival in the Bundesliga. Follow all the preview coverage, live minute-by-minute updates, and post-match analysis on Golazo Scores.
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