St. Pauli vs. Heidenheim preview: A true relegation six-pointer

17th-placed St. Pauli face 16th-placed 1. FC Heidenheim in a vital relegation clash on Saturday afternoon.

FC St. Pauli

FC St. Pauli finally ended their nine-game losing streak against 1. FC Köln in the Bundesliga last week, as Ricki-Jade Jones’ injury-time equaliser rescued a point in a 1-1 draw.

Alexander Blessin’s side now face relegation rivals Heidenheim and Mainz in their final two games before the winter break and will be eager to secure maximum points from these crucial clashes.

They lost their home Bundesliga match against Heidenheim 0-2 last season, but won by the same scoreline on the road in their most recent meeting in January.

A similar result would be a welcome boost for the Hamburg-based club, who last recorded a league victory when they beat Augsburg 2-1 three months ago.

Team News

David Nemeth (groin) and Simon Spari (ankle) are unavailable for St. Pauli, while Andreas Houtondji (muscular) is doubtful.

Predicted lineup: Click here to see our predicted St. Pauli XI against Heidenheim.

FC Heidenheim

After a difficult start to the season, things have been on the up for Heidenheim recently, with Frank Schmidt’s side winning back-to-back Bundesliga games heading into Saturday’s match.

First, they defeated Union Berlin 2-1 thanks to Jan Schöppner’s injury-time winner, and then they secured another 2-1 victory over Freiburg the following week, courtesy of a last-minute goal from Stefan Schimmer.

These wins have lifted Heidenheim to 16th place, and they will be keen to keep Saturday’s opponents behind them in the table.

Team News

Frank Feller and Leart Paqarada (both knee) remain sidelined with long-term injuries. 

Budu Zivzivadze (knee) is a doubt, while Sirlod Conteh and Mikkel Kaufmann could both return to the squad.

Predicted lineup: Click here to see our predicted Heidenheim XI against St. Pauli.