Saturday sees an important match that has huge ramifications at both ends of the Bundesliga table.
An out of sorts TSG 1899 Hoffenheim welcome the high-flying Borussia Dortmund to the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
The hosts have lost four in a row, with their most recent defeat away to FC Augsburg thanks to a late Fredrik Jensen goal. This also ensured Hoffenheim still remain winless following the winter break.
It could not be a worse time for Hoffenheim to face Dortmund. They sit in second place, behind Bayern Munich, but ahead of Union Berlin with just goal difference separating the three sides.
A 1-0 win against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League was followed by a convincing 4-1 win against Hertha BSC on Sunday, to send Dortmund into this clash on a six-game win streak.
Goals from Karim Adeyemi, Donyell Malen, Marco Reus and Julian Brandt helped Dortmund to the three points, taking their goal tally to 19 during their winning run.
These two met on gameweek five with Borussia winning the game 1-0, courtesy of an early strike from Reus. Since then Dortmund have gone from strength to strength whereas Hoffenheim have seriously struggled.
At the start of February, Andre Breitenreiter was sacked and the club looked to Pellegrino Matarazzo to keep the club in the top-flight of German football.
TSG currently sit level on points with VFL Bochum who occupy the relegation playoff spot and just two points ahead of Hertha.
Home games tend to be a good opportunity for struggling sides to beat those at the top end of the table, however the hosts have taken just 11 points from 11 home games, the second poorest home record in the Bundesliga.
On the other hand, Dortmund have the third best away record, claiming 18 points from their 11 away games.
Matarazzo and his players need to end this poor run of form and surprising one of the three joint-top sides may be the catalyst needed to turn their season round.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
The big selection news for Hoffenheim is the return of midfielder Dennis Geiger, who missed the Augsburg match due to suspension. Geiger has 17 appearances to his name and will likely slot back into the midfield alongside Thomas Delaney.
Danish wingers Jacob Brunn Larsen and Robert Skov both miss out along with midfielder Promel Grischa due to an ankle injury.
Borussia Dortmund
Edin Terzic received some very frustrating news this week about forward Adeyemi. The 21-year-old was beginning to find his feet in the yellow shirt but will now be out for three weeks due to a left ankle injury.
Having scored four goals in his last four games, Adeyemi will be tough to replace and Terzic may look to another youngster in Jamie Bynoe-Gittens who replaced the German forward in the first half of the Hertha game.
Bynoe-Gittens has made 10 appearances so far this season, mostly from the bench. With three goals and one assist to his name, he may get a well-earned start against Hoffenheim.
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Likely Lineups
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Baumann; Kabak, Vogt, Brooks; Kaderabek, Delaney, Geiger, Angelino; Baumgartner; Kramaric, Dolberg
Borussia Dortmund
Kobel; Wolf, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro; Bellingham, Can, Ozcan; Bynoe-Gittens, Haller, Brandt
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Key Players
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim - Angelino
In a disappointing season for Hoffenheim, the standout player has been Spanish wing-back Angelino. In his 20 appearances he leads his side with six assists and is integral to their gameplan.
His marauding runs down the left-hand side have been a feature of his career and were most notable during a successful three-year stint at RB Leipzig.
The Spaniard leads the Bundesliga in crosses from open play with 68 and will look to break down the wing and whip the ball onto the heads of his teammates.
Borussia Dortmund - Julian Brandt
When Brandt joined Dortmund for around £22m from Bayer Leverkusen, there were huge expectations on his shoulder following his 18 goal contributions in the 2018/19 season.
He struggled in his first two seasons in Dortmund, but is beginning to reach the levels he was predicted too by so many, contributing seven goals and four assists in his 21 league appearances.
At just 26, Brandt still has the best years ahead of him. Winning the January Bundesliga Player of the Month award shows just how good he has been this season and how integral he is to the success of this Dortmund team.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Dortmund will head south to the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
What time is kick-off?
The game will take place at 14:30 GMT on Saturday.
How can I watch?
The match is not live in the UK but the highlights will be uploaded to the Bundesliga YouTube channel following the game.
You can follow all the news and views as it happens here on VAVEL UK.