With the two sides embroiled in battles at opposite ends of the Bundesliga table, Hertha Berlin and Hoffenheim will do battle in the German capital on Saturday.
The hosts sit in the relegation zone having lost their last five league games, while their visitors sit sixth, level on points with fourth-placed RB Leipzig in the fight for Champions League qualification.
Match preview
Prior to the winter break, Hertha Berlin looked to be in a strong position to maintain their Bundesliga status, as a win over Borussia Dortmund in December left them on 21 points from the opening 18 games.
However, Die Alte Dame have since experienced a major dip in form, failing to win any of their eight top-flight games since the turn of the year and picking up just two points in the process.
They head into the weekend having lost their last five matches, including a damning 2-1 defeat to basement side Greuther Furth alongside thrashings at the hands of RB Leipzig, Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt.
After their latest defeat, a 2-0 loss to fellow strugglers Borussia Monchengladbach, Tayfun Korkut was dismissed, and the capital outfit have now turned to Felix Magath, tasking the experienced coach with keeping them in the division.
Currently level on points with Stuttgart in the relegation playoff place and only two points adrift of automatic safety, the Old Lady do still have a good chance of avoiding the drop, and Magath will hope they can kickstart a turnaround with a victory in his first game at the helm.
That will be no easy task though, as Hoffenheim arrive looking to stretch their impressive run of form in the battle for a top-four finish.
With Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund charging away from the chasing pack at the top of the division, there are likely two Champions League spots left up for grabs in the Bundesliga, and Saturday's visitors have bounced back from a tough spell to keep themselves in a strong position in the battle for those places.
Sebastian Hoeness's side suffered three consecutive league defeats early in the new year, but they rebounded in impressive fashion, putting together a winning run as they firstly beat Arminia Bielefeld, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart before making it four on the bounce as Stefan Posch fired them to a 1-0 away win over FC Koln.
On the back of those triumphs, Die Kraichgauer faced the tough test of a home clash with league leaders Bayern Munich last time out, and they earned a commendable point following a 1-1 draw, with Christoph Baumgartner's opening goal cancelled out by Robert Lewandowski.
Having now earned 13 points from a possible 15 since mid-February, Hoeness's side have climbed back to sixth spot, now level on points with fifth-placed Freiburg and fourth-placed RB Leipzig, meaning they could jump into the top four with an away victory at the weekend.
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Team News
We are yet to see how Magath will line up his Hertha Berlin side, but he may look to make several changes to Korkut's final starting XI to inspire a turn in form, with the likes of Suat Serdar and Dedryck Boyata vying for returns.
He will be unable to call upon experienced midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who remains out of action through injury, while first-choice goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow may not return in time to take his place back from Marcel Lotka.
Top scorer Stevan Jovetic also missed out last weekend, and Marco Richter could feature from the outset in his absence.
Hoffenheim's selection concerns worsened last time out, as Diadie Samassekou picked up a fifth yellow card of the season, ruling him out for the weekend, while Sebastian Rudy, Benjamin Hubner, Havard Nordtveit and Robert Skov remain confined to the treatment room.
Florian Grillitsch has been particularly impressive for Hoeness's side this season, and the Austrian international should again play in the middle of a back three with the license to roam further forward.
At the other end of the pitch, Andrej Kramaric will continue to be a key man in the attack, despite his struggles for goals by his own standards this term, while wing-back David Raum is also an important outlet, having provided eight league assists this season.
Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:
Lotka; Gechter, Stark, Boyata; Pekarik, Plattenhardt, Serdar, Tousart, Darida; Belfodil, Richter
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Potsch, Grillitsch, Vogt; Kaderabek, Stiller, Geiger, Raum; Kramaric, Rutter, Baumgartner
We say: Hertha Berlin 1-3 Hoffenheim
While the hosts may be somewhat rejuvenated by the change in management, we do not see them boasting the quality to topple an in-form Hoffenheim side at the weekend.
Hoeness's men are playing with confidence, and, with their sights set on the top four, they should stretch their eye-catching run with an away win.
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