Köln vs. Heidenheim preview: The Schultz era begins
The Billy Goats have a new trainer roaming the touchline in what will undoubtedly be an emotional contest against Heidenheim at the RheinEnergieStadion.
Köln
Timo Schultz has replaced the beloved Steffen Baumgart in hopes of saving 17th-place Köln from a relegation disaster. He has a lot of work on his hands, as the club desperately need answers offensively, having scored just 10 goals in 16 matches.
Due to their transfer ban, Köln cannot sign any players this window, but they could look to their second team for some much-needed fresh additions. Schultz is expected to go with a 4-1-3-2 formation this weekend which will likely see Luca Waldschmidt paired with Davie Selke up front.
In his press conference, Schultz said, “We have to be stable defensively and start the attacks out of a compact defense. The team is intact and present themselves very well in training. I'm confident we'll turn things around.”
Team News
Mark Uth and Leart Pacarada will both likely be out this weekend with minor injuries.
Heidenheim
A sensational comeback win over Freiburg capped off a historic 2023 for 9th-place Heidenheim. They are far exceeding nearly everyone’s expectations with a steady defense and several strong goal-scoring options.
They won 2-0 in their test match against Paderborn over the break, as Frank Schmidt’s side don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. A draw against the Billy Goats on Saturday would be a decent result in what will undoubtedly be a determined opponent.
Schmidt commented, “I am convinced that every single Köln fan will support this team one hundred percent. This will be an extremely hot atmosphere. - We know (Schultz) from his time at St. Pauli. We are prepared for them to play this 4-1-3-2, which they have already played in part of last season.”
Team News
Thomas Keller, Elidon Qenaj and Christian Kühlwetter are unavailable.