Heidenheim vs. RB Leipzig preview: Survival fight meets top-four ambitions

Heidenheim

Heidenheim find themselves locked in another tense battle for survival after coming through last season’s relegation playoff, and Frank Schmidt’s side enter the weekend 16th in the table with 13 points. 

They sit just one point clear of the bottom two and three adrift of 15th-placed Augsburg, underlining the importance of every remaining fixture.

Form has been a concern of late, with FCH failing to win any of their last five Bundesliga matches (D2, L3). 

That run includes damaging 2-1 defeats against fellow strugglers Mainz and St. Pauli, results that have intensified pressure heading into the business end of the campaign.

There was at least a flicker of encouragement last weekend, when Heidenheim picked up a 1-1 draw away at Wolfsburg. Adrian Beck’s first-half strike handed them the lead before they were eventually pegged back, but the performance offered signs of resilience.

Home form could yet prove decisive. Nine of Heidenheim’s 13 points have been collected on home soil, and they have lost just two of their last five matches on their own turf. 

While they go into Saturday as underdogs, Schmidt’s side will hope familiar surroundings can give them a much-needed edge.

Team news

Heidenheim will be without centre-back Adam Kolle due to illness, while Leart Paqarada is expected to miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury.

In attack, Budu Zivzivadze and Christian Conteh remain sidelined with knee injuries, meaning Marvin Pieringer should lead the line.

Predicted lineup - 4-3-3: Ramaj - Stergiou, Mainka, Gimber, Föhrenback - Schöppner, Dorsch, Beck - Ibrahimovic, Pieringer, Honsak

RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig arrive in Swabia looking to steady the ship after a bruising run of results that has dented their top-four push. Ole Werner’s side slipped to fifth in the table following a humiliating 5-1 defeat against Bayern Munich last time out, their third loss in four matches.

That downturn in form has seen Die Roten Bullen fall behind in the Champions League race, though their position remains recoverable. Leipzig sit on 32 points, just one behind fourth-placed Stuttgart and third-placed Hoffenheim, meaning a return to winning ways this weekend could propel them straight back into the top four.

Despite recent struggles, Leipzig can take confidence from their strong historical record against Heidenheim in the Bundesliga, having never lost to them. 

However, travelling form is a slight concern, with two defeats coming from their last three away matches.

Consistency has been elusive, but the quality within Werner’s squad suggests they remain capable of turning momentum quickly, particularly against a side fighting for survival.

Team news
Leipzig are without centre-backs Castello Lukeba and Lukas Klostermann, although the latter is expected to return in the coming days. Willi Orban is likely to partner El Chadaille Bitshiabu at the heart of defence.

Midfielders Assan Ouedraogo and Viggo Gebel are both sidelined with long-term knee injuries, but Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schlager and Christoph Baumgartner are all available to start.

Johan Bakayoko is nearing a comeback from a calf issue, but this match comes too soon, so Yan Diomande, Romulo and Antonio Nusa are expected to make up the front three.

Predicted lineup - 4-3-3: Gulacsi - Baku, Orban, Bitshiabu, Raum - Schlager, Seiwald, Baumgartner - Diomande, Romulo, Nusa