Tottenham vs 1899 Hoffenheim — Tips & Analysis

Over 2.75: Both of these defences leaked badly last season, and that is the case for goals here. Tottenham let in almost 2 goals a game across their last 15, and won only 4 of them. They finish their summer in front of a full house, but the back line is still a work in progress. Cristian Romero is not even in the country, away for a medical before a move, and Djed Spence is expected to miss out. Hoffenheim are the tidier side on recent form, with 7 wins in their last 16. They score more than a goal a game and let in almost 2 themselves. Neither team can shut a game down a week before the league starts. 12 of Hoffenheim's last 16 games had 3 or more goals, and 10 of Tottenham's last 15 did the same. These two also play each other twice inside 24 hours, and De Zerbi is naming two completely different teams across the two nights. That means weakened sides, loose marking and plenty of space to run into. Their only previous meeting finished 3-2. A 2-2 tie looks the honest outcome here, and that is exactly the sort of night we want. The risk is the friendly itself. Benches empty around the hour and the game can drift, with nobody chasing a winner. We are still on goals.