5 need-to-know facts on the Hoffenheim game

Matchday 9 pits two teams against each other who have been banging in the goals lately. Six days after the impressive 5-1 win in the top-of-the-table clash at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Bayern now host TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, who themselves cruised to a 5-0 success over 1. FC Köln last week. We’ve got all the other important stats on Saturday’s match at the Allianz Arena here:

1. Improving record against bogey team Bayern

Of the 26 Bundesliga meetings against Hoffenheim to date, FC Bayern have won 17. The Kraichgau club have not lost that many times to any other team in the top flight. The same goes for the average of 2.38 goals that they’ve conceded per match against the German record champions (62 in 26 games). TSG have made up some ground in recent years, though, taking 13 points from the last 10 league encounters between the two sides – no other team have picked up as many points against Bayern in that time.

2. Another goal record for the record champions

Bayern have fired in 29 goals during the first eight matches of this Bundesliga season, equalling the record in Germany’s top flight. Only Bayern themselves have previously racked up that many goals at this stage of the campaign, doing so in 1977.

3. Fast starters

Sixteen of those 29 goals have come in the first half of matches. That’s the most in the league and almost as many goals as opponents Hoffenheim have scored overall this term (17).

4. Another milestone for Neuer

Just three days after making his 100th Champions League appearance for Bayern at Benfica, Manuel Neuer is on the verge of another round number. The 35-year-old goalkeeper could celebrate his 300th win in the Bundesliga against Hoffenheim, a mark that only legend Oliver Kahn (310 wins) has previously passed.