Victorious in each of their final five league matches last year, the defending champions picked up where they left off as Goretzka struck twice in 12 first-half minutes.
Hoffenheim took a 10-match unbeaten streak into Friday's encounter but were unable to build on Nico Schulz's fine 59th-minute strike in Julian Naglesmann's 100th match at the helm in Germany's top flight.
Robert Lewandowski provided the knockout blow three minutes from the end to trim Borussia Dortmund's advantage back to three points ahead of the league-leaders' tricky trip to fourth-placed RB Leipzig on Saturday.