TSG 1899 Hoffenheim face second-tier opposition VfR Aalen. No less than 27 places separate the two sides on the league pyramid, with Hoffenheim at one end of the spectrum on the hunt for a place in Europe and Aalen battling for their Bundesliga 2 lives at the other.

Aalen are fighting for survival in Bundesliga 2. They are currently seventeenth in the league. They have the daunting stat that they have the lowest league goals in Bundesliga 2.

The hosts are also winless in their last five, losing three and drawing the remaining two.

Hoffenheim who are hoping for European Football come May sit in seventh in the Bundesliga. They have Anthony Modeste and Kevin Volland to turn to if worse comes to worse tonight. Modeste and Volland have four and five goals respectively between them.

Hoffenheim’s form is rather shaky, they have managed just two wins in their last five, losing two and drawing one. On the back end of their last five games they have won two in three which should give Gisdol’s side some confidence going into the game.

Managers:

VfR Aalen: Stefan Ruthenbeck

Stefan Ruthenbeck, aged 42, born in Köln, Germany.

Ruffenbeck was appointed manager in July 2013, since then he has won eighteen and lost twenty-five out of his sixty one games in charge.

TSG Hoffenheim: Markus Gisdol

Markus Gisdol, aged 45, born in Geislingen an der Steige, Germany. He played midfield in his playing days.

Gisdol replaced Marco Kurz in 2013 following his spell at Hoffenheim II. He has managed Hoffenheim seventy times, winning twenty-nine and losing twenty three times giving the 6 ft 3 manager a 41% win percentage.

What they’re saying:

Gisdol wary of the threat Aalen possess. "Perhaps it's Aalen's biggest match of the season, I think it's going to be a tight, hard fought match," he said.

"Our players will not know as much about their direct opponent as they do in the Bundesliga. There are some players in Aalen's squad that we don't know a lot about, which makes it tougher.

"After the recent rainfall, it's going to be a difficult and very heavy pitch to play on as well."