Depleted Hoffenheim face uphill battle to advance in Europa League

Hoffenheim arrived in Belgium for their final league stage match in the Europa League at Anderlecht on Thursday amid a major injury and illness crisis, and with only little hope of reaching the last 16 play-offs.

Coach Christian Ilzer is without 13 players led by goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. In addition, newly signed Gift Orban and Erencan Yardimci are eligible to play.

“It is a sickbay like I’ve never experienced before in my coaching career,” Ilzer told reporters on Wednesday.

Ilzer did not want to reveal who will not be able to play because he wants “to keep our opponent in the dark.”

But Buamann’s absence is definite and he is set to be replaced by Luca Philipp, like in Sunday’s 2-2 Bundesliga draw with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Hoffenheim are 28th. In order to make the top 24 for a play-off spot they need to win and have other results go their way as well. Anderlecht are seventh and well-placed to qualify directly for the last 16, for which a top eight spot is necessary.

“We haven’t brought along the calculator. I got a WhatsApp message today with all sorts of things that need to happen,” Ilzer said.

“But we don’t need to do the maths, we need to make sure we put in our best possible performance. The basis for progressing is a victory.”

Hoffenheim, a team hit hard by injuries and departures, face a tough challenge in their bid to advance in the Europa League. With a depleted squad, they will have to overcome the odds to secure a spot in the next round.

Injuries to key players have left Hoffenheim struggling to field a strong starting lineup, and the recent departure of some of their top talents has further weakened their squad. Despite these setbacks, the team is determined to fight for a place in the knockout stages of the competition.

Their next match will be crucial, as they face a formidable opponent who will not make it easy for them. Hoffenheim will need to dig deep and show resilience in order to secure a positive result and keep their Europa League hopes alive.

With their backs against the wall, Hoffenheim will have to summon all their strength and determination to overcome this challenge. It will be a tough battle, but if they can rise to the occasion, they may still have a chance to advance in the Europa League.

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Europa League, Hoffenheim, depleted squad, uphill battle, advance in competition, football, European competition, knockout stage, injuries, team struggles, Europa League campaign

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