Hoffenheim v Schalke 04: Bundesliga matchday 9 preview

The occasion and the table

Hoffenheim host Schalke 04 on matchday 9 of the Bundesliga, with kick-off set for 8 November 2026 18:30. Both clubs sit in the lower half of the standings, so the match carries real weight for each.

Hoffenheim are 14th in the table with 9 points from 8 matches. Their record reads 3 wins, 0 draws and 5 defeats, with 14 goals scored and 16 conceded.

Schalke 04 are 17th with 6 points from 8 matches, made up of 1 win, 3 draws and 4 defeats. They have scored 4 goals and conceded 9.

Recent form and home/away records

Hoffenheim come into the match with 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat from their last 5 matches. Most recently they drew 1-1 away against Crystal Palace. Before that they lost 0-2 away at Werder Bremen, and before that they drew 1-1 away at Holstein Kiel. Earlier still, they won 3-0 at home against Bayer Leverkusen, and before that they beat Lyon 3-0 at home.

At home in the Bundesliga this season, Hoffenheim have played 4 matches, winning 2 and losing 2 without a draw. They have scored 9 goals and conceded 7 in those games.

Schalke 04 arrive in much poorer form, with 0 wins, 1 draw and 4 defeats from their last 5 matches. The most recent was a 0-2 home defeat by RB Leipzig. Before that they lost 0-2 away at Dynamo Dresden, and before that they drew 0-0 away at Cologne. Prior to that came a 0-1 home defeat by Mainz, and before that a 1-2 away loss at Freiburg.

Away from home in the Bundesliga this season, Schalke 04 have played 4 matches, with 1 win, 1 draw and 2 defeats. They have scored 4 goals and conceded 6 on the road.

Players to watch

Adam Daghim is Hoffenheim's top scorer in the Bundesliga this season with 2 goals. Hoffenheim have spread their league goals across the squad, but Daghim leads the way. With his side scoring in 4 of their last 5 matches, he is a natural focal point for the home attack.

How the two sides tend to play

The numbers point to two very different profiles. Hoffenheim have been the more productive side in front of goal, with 14 league goals in 8 matches against Schalke 04's 4. In their last 5 matches Hoffenheim scored in 4, kept a clean sheet in 2 and saw both teams score in 2. The two clean sheets came in the 3-0 home wins over Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon.

That attacking output has come with exposure at the back, however. Hoffenheim have conceded 16 goals in the league, more than they have scored, and their home matches have produced 9 goals for and 7 against.

Schalke 04's games have been far tighter. They have conceded 9 league goals in 8 matches, but scoring has been the problem. In their last 5 matches they scored in only 1, kept a clean sheet in 1 and saw both teams score in 1. The goal came in the 1-2 defeat at Freiburg, while the clean sheet came in the 0-0 draw at Cologne. Three of their other four matches in that run ended in defeats without a goal, and the fourth was the 0-0 draw.

For the visitors, the key question is whether they can turn a relatively compact record into goals. For Hoffenheim, the task is to keep converting chances at home while tightening up at the other end.

Estimated win chances

Estimated win chances from market data, computed by goal888 with the margin removed, put Hoffenheim at 59%, the draw at 22% and Schalke 04 at 19%. These are estimates based on market data, not a prediction of the result.

Calculated from market prices, not a prediction or betting advice.