Christian Ilzer Tactics At Hoffenheim 2025/2026 Analysis

After fighting against relegation during the 2024/2025 season, Hoffenheim have skyrocketed up the Bundesliga table.

They currently sit in third place with 42 points and a +20 goal differential, when they finished last season with only 32 points total.

It’s been one of the best turnarounds in European football this season, orchestrated by 48-year-old Christian Ilzer.

Ilzer has spent most of his career managing in Austria, starting at TSV Hartberg, then at Wolfsberger, and later at Austria Vienna.

In 2020, he took the job at Sturm Graz and built them into a powerhouse in Austria, eventually winning the league title in 2023/2024, ending Red Bull Salzburg’s 10-year run as champions.

In November 2024, he left Sturm Graz to accept the Hoffenheim job, leaving him in a very difficult situation.

In his 24 matches in charge, Hoffenheim had a record of 5-8-11 and conceded the second-most goals (49) during that time span.

This summer, there was a significant investment made in the squad, as Hoffenheim spent €79.5m on a number of different players, with much of that investment paying off.

They are currently three points ahead of RB Leipzig and VfB Stuttgart.

They will need to maintain their impressive form to secure Champions League football for the second time in the clubs history.

Hoffenheim is an interesting story because they only recently made it to the top flight in 2008, after spending most of their history in the lower leagues.

In this tactical analysis, we will take a look at Ilzer’s tactical flexibility, which has made Hoffenheim difficult to play against, along with their relentless high pressing, the key players in their ascent up the table and some data points that suggest a possible negative regression.

Christian Ilzer Tactical Flexibility

Last season, Ilzer varied between a 3-4-3 and a 4-2-3-1 for the entire season.

This season, he’s been all over the place using a bunch of different formations based on the opponent they are facing.

As you can see, he hasnt used one formation more than 25% of the time, which really makes Hoffenheim difficult to prepare for.

When they play in a 4-4-2, they typically build up in a 4-2-4 with the two midfielders staggered, while the full-backs stay really wide along the touchline to stretch the opposition.