From relegation battle to surprise side: A look at TSG

Following a disappointing league campaign last term, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim are back for the new Bundesliga season with a significantly changed team and renewed confidence. Under coach Christian Ilzer, the side from the Kraichgau region have undergone a transformation in terms of personnel and tactics – and have already shown in their first few games that they have more than just a relegation battle in mind this season. So what do FC Bayern need to watch out for in Saturday's clash with TSG (15:30 CEST)? In our analysis, we take a look at how our upcoming opponents have started the season, their new signings, their expected line-up and their tactical approach.

Form: TSG with a strong start to the season

After a disappointing season last year, TSG have already made an impact during this first phase of the new campaign – despite the fact that their opening fixtures were anything but easy. An almost flawless pre-season, with eight wins from eight friendlies, gave a small taste of the fact that the Sinsheim club has ambitions that go beyond avoiding the drop this year. Christian Ilzer's side started off by underscoring these promising impressions with a 2-1 win at last season's runners-up Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

The side from the Kraichgau region refused to be rattled by their 3-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 2, instead responding impressively with a 4-2 win at Union Berlin last weekend. "I think if we can keep going like we did today, we can achieve a lot," said two-goal man Fisnik Asllani after the match. Striker Tim Lemperle, who scored the final goal from the penalty spot, also praised the team spirit: "We have a team who are very eager to learn, we're all pulling in the same direction."

Transfers: Hoffenheim in transition

It was an open secret in Sinsheim towards the end of last season that there would be some personnel changes in the summer. Almost the entire starting XI – a total of ten players – left TSG, including key men like Anton Stach (Leeds United), Marius Bülter (1. FC Köln), Pavel Kadeřábek (Sparta Prague) and Florian Grillitsch (Braga). The departure of Tom Bischof to FC Bayern also left a noticeable gap in the Hoffenheim squad and presented club officials with the task of skilfully compensating for the lost quality. "These were deliberate changes," said coach Ilzer in an interview with the TSG club media. "We had a clear mandate to become leaner and younger."

With Tim Lemperle (23, free transfer from Köln) and returning loanee Fisnik Asllani (22, from Elversberg), the side who finished 15th last season have completely revamped their attack. Following the squad restructuring, a lot of hope has been placed on the shoulders of Asllani, who caused a sensation with 19 goals and ten assists in Bundesliga 2 last season. In addition, TSG signed Deniz Zeitler (18, FC Ingolstadt), a promising young talent for up front.

Hoffenheim have invested heavily in central midfield: Leon Avdullahu (21, Basel) and Wouter Burger (24, Stoke City) are expected to provide stability, as is centre-back Koki Machida (28, Union Saint-Gilloise). However, the latter suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in the Leverkusen clash and will be out for some months. So TSG delved once again into the transfer market: defender Albian Hajdari (22, Lugano) has been brought in to bolster the defence. Bernardo (30) joined on a free transfer from VfL Bochum to play on the left, while Vladimír Coufal (33, West Ham United) is expected to compensate for the departure of key player Pavel Kadeřábek on the right.

Line-up: How Hoffenheim could play

Along with the changes in personnel, coach Ilzer also introduced a new playing system: Hoffenheim now play in a 4-2-2-2 formation. Ahead of Germany international Oliver Baumann in goal, centre-back duo Robin Hranáč and Albian Hajdari could play against FC Bayern, flanked by the two new signings Coufal on the right and Bernardo on the left. Leon Avdullahu and Wouter Burger form the new defensive midfield axis, while Bazoumana Touré and Andrej Kramarić are expected to be deployed out wide in attack. The strike duo of Fisnik Asllani and Tim Lemperle has already proven itself early in the season: in the first four competitive games, the pair combined to rack up nine scorer points and showed that they're bringing new momentum to the Hoffenheim attack.

Playing style under coach Christian Ilzer

Under coach Christian Ilzer, Hoffenheim play according to a clear tactical plan: unity and team spirit are the top priorities. Ilzer demands maximum commitment from every player – both in defence and in attack. The stats from the first three Bundesliga matches confirm this approach: only FC Bayern have made more intensive runs than Hoffenheim (2,222), while the Kraichgau side rank third in the league in terms of sprints (566).

Hoffenheim aim to not only defend aggressively – with 41 fouls committed they top the league in these stats alongside St. Pauli – but also actively challenge their opponents. Ilzer attaches particular importance to a recognisable style: his team should be present in all phases of the game and make it clear that playing against them is anything but easy. "Every single player who wants to be part of this must reach the highest level in terms of mentality and team spirit," he said in an interview with the TSG club media.

In attack, Hoffenheim focus on being active in the opposition's half. The players should not only move the ball around, but also decide where they can achieve the greatest effect depending on the situation. Asllani embodies this approach at the top: as a 'number nine-and-a-half’, he initiates attacks, opens up space and takes shots himself. "A bit like Harry Kane, perhaps – but not at his level, of course," said the new TSG striker.

Despite Hoffenheim's promising start to the season, Kane and his teammates intend to leave no room for doubt on Saturday in Sinsheim: the goal is three points. Pack ma's! (Let's do this!)

Don’t miss Vincent Kompany’s pre-match press conference ahead of the game at Hoffenheim: