Hoffenheim vs Dortmund: Strikers Shine in Bundesliga Rivalry

In Sinsheim, some strikers just feel at home. Serhou Guirassy is one of them.

The BVB forward has scored on each of his last four visits to Hoffenheim, and last season he almost spoiled the party on Matchday 30. His late equaliser in the 87th minute looked set to snatch a point for Dortmund, only for Andrej Kramaric to rip the script apart from the penalty spot. Twice.

Kramaric had already converted a handball penalty in the 27th minute. Deep into stoppage time, at 90+8, he did it again to seal a 3-1 win – Hoffenheim’s first home victory over the Black and Yellows since December 2019. It was ruthless, clinical, and entirely in character.

Because when Borussia Dortmund appear on the other side, Kramaric usually smells blood.

The Croatian has struck 11 times in 18 Bundesliga meetings with BVB, a record that includes an away four-goal haul in June 2020 and that decisive penalty double last season. Only against Hertha BSC has he scored more often in the league. For him, the yellow shirts might as well be a green light.

Dortmund, though, rarely travel to Sinsheim quietly. They have found the net in each of their last 14 visits, an attacking consistency that speaks to both their firepower and Hoffenheim’s willingness to trade punches. Defensive control is another matter entirely: across 18 away games there, BVB have managed a clean sheet only twice.

The numbers paint the rivalry clearly. These games burn hot.

In 36 Bundesliga clashes, the two sides have produced nine red cards. Almost one every four matches. Tempers flare, tackles fly, and the margins stay razor-thin. Dortmund hold the better overall record with 16 wins, 11 draws and nine defeats, but even that dominance looks slimmer on closer inspection.

The goal difference? Just 58:52 in BVB’s favour. Six goals across 36 games. Their “biggest wins” in the league over Hoffenheim are three separate 3-1 victories – solid, but never a rout. This fixture doesn’t do walkovers. It does tension.

And the next chapter might be written from long range.

On the opening matchday, only SC Freiburg fired more shots from outside the box (11) than Borussia Dortmund (nine) and Hoffenheim (seven). Both sides clearly trust their shooters from distance. Dortmund’s efforts against HSV failed to bring a breakthrough, but Hoffenheim already have a highlight reel moment in the bank.

Adam Daghim marked his first Bundesliga appearance with a statement strike, smashing in from range to give Hoffenheim a 1-0 lead in Cologne. The game eventually finished 3-2 to FC, yet Daghim’s goal stood out – a reminder that one clean hit from 20 metres can tilt any contest.

So as the 37th Bundesliga meeting between Hoffenheim and Dortmund looms, the pattern is familiar: goals, edge, and very little breathing space. Guirassy’s streak, Kramaric’s habit, Daghim’s emergence from distance – all of it feeds into a fixture that rarely settles down.

If history is any guide, this won’t be decided by caution. It will be decided by who dares to land the next decisive blow.