Augsburg vs Hoffenheim Prediction: Leaky defences suggest Friday night goal fest

Friday night Bundesliga action comes from the WWK Arena this week as mid-table hosts FC Augsburg (11th) take on Uefa Champions League-chasing TSG Hoffenheim (fifth), who can draw level on points with third-placed RB Leipzig with a win in Bavaria (19:30 BST, BBC iPlayer).

Below are my Augsburg vs Hoffenheim predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, as the former seek revenge for the 3-0 defeat they suffered in November's reverse meeting.

Team News

Augsburg centre-backs Keven Schlotterback (suspended) and Chrislain Matsima (muscle), as well as midfield duo Yannik Keitel (knee) and Kristijan Jakic (unspecified), are set to sit out Friday's contest.

Football Odds

Wouter Burger misses out for Hoffenheim due to suspension, while Valentin Gendrey (ankle), Koki Machida (knee) and Adam Hlozek (calf) are injury doubts.

Augsburg vs Hoffenheim Odds

Home side Augsburg are 21/10 underdogs to claim victory on Friday, implying a 32.3% probability of success, while visitors Hoffenheim are 11/10, or a 47.6% chance, to walk away from the WWK Arena with all three points, with the draw priced at 11/4.

Both Teams To Score and Total Goals Over/Under +2.5 - Yes & Over 2.5 @ 4/5

Only Bayern Munich (127), Eintracht Frankfurt (105), VfL Wolfsburg (101) and Bayer Leverkusen (97) have been involved in more Bundesliga goals this season than Hoffenheim (96), whose games are averaging 3.42 strikes. Three of their last four league matches have gone over 2.5 goals, while both teams to score has been a winning selection in three of the four, too, with BTTS-Yes & Over 2.5 Goals landing in two.

Augsburg's games, meanwhile, are averaging 3.03 goals, while both teams have scored in three of their last four.

Hoffenheim (68%) and Augsburg (57%) are joint-third and joint-10th, respectively, in the Bundesliga's Over 2.5 Goals table, and joint-fourth (64%) and joint-11th (57%), respectively, in the BTTS standings.

Today's Football Fixtures

Both sides have been leaking goals of late, with Augsburg conceding 10 across their last four games, failing to keep a single clean sheet, while Hoffenheim haven't recorded a shutout in their last six, shipping 13 goals, including five in their last away trip to RB Leipzig (5-0).

Two dodgy defences lead me to think that this could be an entertaining affair at the WWK Arena, so I'm backing goals on Friday.

Headed Goal - Yes @ 1/1

Remarkably, Hoffenheim have conceded a headed goal in their last five games, so it's probably fair to suggest that they are susceptible from aerial balls into the box at the moment.

The Kraichgauers, though, have scored 12 headers this season, double the amount of Augsburg (six), with only Borussia Dortmund (13) netting more in the Bundesliga.

Augsburg, meanwhile, last conceded a header three games ago, in a 2-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund.

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