TSG Hoffenheim host Schalke 04 at the SNP Arena in Sinsheim on Sunday, November 8, with kick-off at 18:30 local time. The Bundesliga match brings together a Hoffenheim side sitting 12th and a Schalke team in 17th place ahead of the ninth round. Neither arrives on a winning run: Hoffenheim have gone three matches without a victory, while Schalke have taken one draw and suffered four defeats in their last five. The hosts’ stronger recent results and record in this fixture provide one angle on the contest, but their tendency to lead at half-time at home may be the most relevant pattern to watch.

TSG Hoffenheim’s Recent Form and Key Stats

TSG Hoffenheim drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace on November 5. Across their last five matches, they have recorded two wins, two draws and one defeat, scoring an average of 1.6 goals and conceding 0.8 per game. That run is steadier than their Bundesliga season record of three wins and five losses, with no draws. In those league matches, Hoffenheim have averaged 1.8 goals scored and 2.0 conceded.

The recent picture is therefore mixed. Hoffenheim have lost only one of their last six games, yet they have not won any of the most recent three. Their matches in that six-game stretch have averaged 2.5 total goals, and none has featured more than three. Both teams scored in half of those six fixtures. Looking across a longer sample, there has been more than 1.5 total goals in each of Hoffenheim’s last 15 matches.

First-half results stand out in their home record. Hoffenheim have been ahead at half-time in 11 of their last 17 home Bundesliga matches and 12 of their last 19 home matches across all competitions. They have also led at the break in eight of their last 13 Bundesliga games. Those figures do not guarantee another fast start, but they give the opening 45 minutes particular importance in this preview. Elsewhere in their recent home league results, both sides have scored in the second half in nine of Hoffenheim’s last 15 such matches.

Schalke 04’s Recent Form and Key Stats

Schalke 04 arrive after a 2-0 loss to RB Leipzig on October 31. Their last five matches have produced no wins, one draw and four defeats. They have averaged just 0.2 goals scored and 1.4 conceded per game during that sequence, making their lack of goals a central concern ahead of the trip to Sinsheim.

The broader Bundesliga figures tell a similar story in attack. Schalke’s season record stands at one win, three draws and four defeats, with averages of 0.5 goals scored and 1.1 conceded per match. Over their last six games, they have scored only twice, while those fixtures have averaged 1.5 total goals. Five of the six finished with no more than two goals, and none exceeded three. Both teams scored in just one of those six matches; three of Schalke’s last 10 games ended without a goal from either side.

For Schalke, the challenge is to turn a low-scoring run into a result against opponents whose recent form has been more resilient. Their scoring figures leave little margin if Hoffenheim take an early lead, though Hoffenheim’s record of three defeats in their last eight Bundesliga matches shows that the hosts have not been consistently successful in the competition.

TSG Hoffenheim vs Schalke 04 Match Analysis

The teams’ recent attacking numbers point in different directions. Hoffenheim have scored 1.6 goals per game over their last five, compared with Schalke’s 0.2, while Hoffenheim have conceded fewer per game over the same period. The season-long Bundesliga averages offer a qualification: Hoffenheim have scored more frequently than Schalke, but have also conceded 2.0 goals per match. That contrast makes their recent improvement at the back relevant without erasing the defensive difficulties shown in their league figures.

The supplied head-to-head record also favors Hoffenheim: they have four wins and one defeat in the five meetings covered, with averages of 2.8 goals scored and 1.4 conceded. The latest listed meeting ended 2-0 in Hoffenheim’s favor on April 9, 2023. Those results provide context rather than a direct measure of current form, especially with Schalke’s latest matches featuring so few goals.

A tight overall scoreline would fit Schalke’s recent results, but the first half remains a distinct consideration. Hoffenheim’s repeated half-time leads in home Bundesliga games give them a clear recent pattern, even as their three-match winless run cautions against assuming they will control the entire match. Schalke’s immediate priority is to improve on an attacking return of two goals in six games; Hoffenheim’s is to make their stronger recent form count in the result.

TSG Hoffenheim vs Schalke 04 prediction from BetMines: Over 0.5 goals at Half-Time with 81% probability.