Guirassy and Kramaric: The Key Players in Dortmund vs Hoffenheim Showdown
Serhou Guirassy knows the road to goal in Sinsheim almost by heart now. Four away games there in his career. Four times on the scoresheet.
Last season’s visit summed up both his threat and Borussia Dortmund’s frustration. Guirassy struck late on Matchday 30, dragging BVB level at 1-1 in the 87th minute and seemingly salvaging a point. Then came Andrej Kramaric, twice from the spot – on 27 and again in the 90+8 minute – to flip the story and hand Hoffenheim their first home win over the Black and Yellows since December 2019.
That is the duel in miniature: Dortmund rarely leave Sinsheim empty-handed, but they almost never leave unscathed.
Kramaric, Dortmund’s familiar tormentor
Kramaric has turned games against BVB into something close to a personal stage. Eleven goals in 18 Bundesliga matches against Dortmund underline just how often he has hurt them. That tally includes a four-goal masterclass away in June 2020 and the cold-blooded penalty double from last season’s clash.
Only against Hertha BSC has the Croatian scored more frequently in the Bundesliga. Dortmund sit firmly in his sights.
Goals almost guaranteed – at both ends
The numbers between these two clubs read like a promise: expect chaos, expect drama.
Dortmund have scored in each of their last 14 matches in Sinsheim. They usually find a way. The problem? At the other end, they rarely shut the door. Across 18 away games there, BVB have kept a clean sheet just twice. Two shutouts in nearly two decades of trips tell their own story.
The wider head-to-head is just as tight. In 36 Bundesliga meetings, Dortmund hold the edge with 16 wins, but Hoffenheim have nine victories of their own and there have been 11 draws. The goal difference is razor-thin: 58 for BVB, 52 for Hoffenheim. Dortmund’s “biggest wins” in this fixture are three different 3-1 scorelines – no thrashings, no humiliation, just marginal superiority.
The temperature tends to rise quickly, too. Nine red cards in those 36 encounters point to how combustible this pairing can become once tackles start to bite and tempers flare.
A duel that can be decided from distance
This latest chapter might be settled not in the box, but outside it.
On the opening matchday, only SC Freiburg attempted more shots from range than these two sides. Freiburg let fly 11 times from outside the penalty area; Dortmund tried their luck nine times, Hoffenheim seven. BVB’s efforts against HSV failed to produce a goal, but the intent was clear: they are not shy about pulling the trigger from distance.
Hoffenheim already turned that willingness into something tangible. Adam Daghim, on his Bundesliga debut, announced himself with a long-range strike to make it 1-0 in Cologne, a match that ended 3-2 in favour of FC. A first league game, a first goal from distance – and a reminder that Hoffenheim carry a threat from all angles.
Put it together and the outline of the 37th Bundesliga meeting between these clubs is easy to sketch: Guirassy’s scoring streak in Sinsheim, Kramaric’s enduring menace, Dortmund’s attacking reliability paired with defensive vulnerability, and two teams unafraid to shoot from outside the box.
The only real unknown is who lands the final blow this time.
