Stuttgart vs. Heidenheim preview: Top four hopefuls welcome strugglers
| Badredine Bouanani in action for VfB Stuttgart in the Europa League against Basel. | Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images |
Stuttgart
Sebastian Hoeneß’s side sit fifth in the Bundesliga with nine points after a 2-1 win over FC Köln on September 28. Their recent Europa League defeat to Basel - a 2-0 loss - ended a nine-game streak of scoring, highlighting that the team still has room for improvement.
Stuttgart have been particularly vulnerable in the opening and closing stages of matches, with each of the last nine goals they have conceded occurring before the 10th minute or after the 80th.
Nevertheless, the hosts have enjoyed solid home form under Hoeneß, winning three consecutive matches at MHPArena, matching their total from the previous eight home games.
Team News
Forward Deniz Undav remains unavailable, though Ermedin Demirović is expected to lead the line. Angelo Stiller continues as a midfield mainstay after featuring in 32 of 34 Bundesliga games last season.
In defence, Finn Jeltsch is sidelined with a groin injury, so Luca Jaquez and Julian Chabot are likely to partner at the back.
Predicted lineup - 4-2-3-1: Nübel - Vagnoman, Jaquez, Chabot, Mittelstädt - Karazor, Stiller - Tomás, El Khannouss, Leweling - Demirović
Heidenheim
Frank Schmidt’s Heidenheim are 17th in the table with just three points, but come off a narrow 2-1 win against Augsburg on September 27, ending a four-game losing streak.
Despite the victory, Heidenheim have struggled offensively this season, scoring only four goals in the league and registering the fewest touches inside the opposition box of any Bundesliga club.
Sunday marks the ninth competitive meeting between the two sides, with each winning three matches previously. Schmidt will look for his players to build on their rare victory and halt a difficult start to the season.
Team News
Heidenheim will be without defenders Thomas Keller and Leart Paqarada. Expect a back four of Haktab Omar Traore, Patrick Mainka, Tim Siersleben, and Jonas Fohrenbach. Striker Marvin Pieringer is also sidelined, likely leading to Mikkel Kaufmann starting up front.
Predicted lineup - 4-2-3-1: Ramaj - Traore, Mainka, Siersleben, Föhrenbach - Schöppner, Niehues, Dorsch - Conteh, Kaufmann, Ibrahimovic
