Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim renew hostilities today as the sides clash at the PreZero Arena on matchday 30 of the 2025-26 Bundesliga season.
While the BVB succumbed to a shock loss last weekend, Die Kraichgauer are looking to end a four-game winless run in the competition.
This is a fixture that has given us some memorable results in the past while a few players have donned both their colors.
Here are the top five:
Niklas Sule
A Bundesliga legend with over 400 appearances in the German top-flight, it all began for Sule at Hoffenheim. After progressing from their reserve side, he broke into their senior team in 2012.
Over the next four years, a young Sule caught Europe's attention with eye-catching displays and soon enough, Bayern Munich came calling. After five trophy-laden years, the German international joined Dortmund in 2022 where injuries curtailed his playing time as Sule is all set to leave the club this summer.
Maximilian Beier
Another product of Hoffenheim's youth academy, Maximilian Beier was struggling for gametime with the senior team in his first two years before a loan move to Hannover brought his talents to the fore.
Following two productive years, he returned to Hoffenheim in 2023 where he had a solid year before Dortmund came knocking for his services.
In the last two years, the German forward has been a vital figure in the attack, netting 19 goals and assisting a further 14 from 85 appearances in all competitions.
Nico Schulz
Like Maximilian Beier, Nico Schulz too made a direct transfer from Hoffenheim to Borussia Dortmund. He spent two years with Die Kraichgauer, making 71 appearances in all competitions.
Thereon he joined the BVB in 2019 where Schulz was more of a substitute than a starter, making only 40 appearances in the Bundesliga across three seasons.
Jacob Bruun Larsen
Dortmund signed Larsen in 2015 when he was only 17. After spending a year in their youth academy, the Dane made his senior debut for the club in 2016 but chances remained few and far between.
Following a breakout year in 2018-19, the winger joined Hoffenheim the next season where continued injury struggles mean he couldn't fully live up to his potential.
Gregor Kobel
Today, Gregor Kobel is a star at Borussia Dortmund and one of the best players in the Bundesliga. But at Hoffenheim, things were rather somber as the Swiss custodian was just starting out.
Only 19 when he first appeared for Hoffenheim, Kobel was struggling for first-team opportunities. A few spells later, he landed in Stuttgart where his exploits eanred him a move to Dortmund.
In five years since, Kobel has established himself as the number one choice in goal for Die Borussen and made 211 appearances in all competitions, including 144 in the Bundesliga.
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