Heidenheim vs Eintracht Frankfurt preview: Relegation fight meets European chase at Voith-Arena

Heidenheim host Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday in a clash that could shape both ends of the Bundesliga table – with the hosts fighting for survival and the visitors pushing towards Europe.

Heidenheim

Frank Schmidt’s side come into the weekend under pressure after back-to-back defeats to Hoffenheim and Hamburg in league and cup action, respectively.

A 3-1 loss last weekend was followed by a 1-0 exit in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, leaving Heidenheim without a clean sheet in nine matches and struggling to find consistency in front of goal – they have failed to score in four fixtures this season.

Their defensive fragility continues to be an issue, having conceded first in eight of their last nine Bundesliga games. With just four points from their opening eight matches, Heidenheim are six points worse off than at this stage last season and sit 17th in the table.

Schmidt will be hoping for a second home win of the campaign at Voith-Arena, but defeat would mark their fourth in six matches in front of their supporters.

Team news

Sirlord Conteh remains sidelined and unavailable for selection, meaning Budu Zivzivadze could lead the line once again. Arijon Ibrahimović and Mathias Honsak are likely to feature on either flank as Schmidt looks to revitalise his attack.

Predicted lineup – 4-3-3: Ramaj – Traoré, Mainka, Siersleben, Föhrenbach – Schöppner, Niehues, Dorsch – Ibrahimović, Zivzivadze, Honsak

Eintracht Frankfurt

Eintracht Frankfurt head into the contest sitting comfortably in sixth, nine points clear of their hosts. Dino Toppmöller’s side returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 victory over St. Pauli last weekend, securing their first clean sheet in 11 league games.

However, that momentum was halted in midweek as Frankfurt were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal on penalties by Borussia Dortmund after a 1-1 draw.

Despite ongoing defensive issues – their 18 goals conceded is the joint second-worst record in the league – Frankfurt remain prolific in attack, scoring 21 times in eight Bundesliga matches. They have netted at least twice in eight of their last 13 games across all competitions.

Die Adler have also enjoyed recent dominance over Heidenheim, winning all five previous competitive meetings, including 4-0 and 3-0 triumphs in last season’s Bundesliga encounters.

Team news

Oscar Højlund misses out with a thigh injury, while the rest of the squad is fully fit, with Rasmus Kristensen, Robin Koch and Arthur Theate expected to start in a back three.

Predicted lineup 3-1-4-2: Zetterer – Kristensen, Koch, Theate – Doan, Götze, Skhiri, Uzun, Brown – Burkardt, Bahoya