Heidenheim vs. Werder Bremen preview: Struggling Heidenheim in need of points

Two sides in the bottom half of the Bundesliga go head to head this weekend, as bottom of the league Heidenheim welcome Werder Bremen to Voith Arena.

Heidenheim

The hosts were well-organised in their defeat to Stuttgart, limiting their opponents to long-range efforts, though Frank Schmidt’s side created very little for themselves before being undone by an effort from Bilal El Khannouss.

Heidenheim have struggled massively in front of goal, scoring a league-low four times, and have conceded first in six of their last seven Bundesliga fixtures. Schmidt’s men have also lost five of their past six league games, with only one win to their name so far this season. 

Last season’s meetings with Bremen ended up being high-scoring encounters – a 3-3 draw in January and a 4-1 defeat in May. 

The 2-1 win against Augsburg at the end of September ended a dismal run of eight home matches without victory in the top flight, and Schmidt will hope Voith-Arena can provide a spark on Saturday.

Team News

Heidenheim’s attacking options are limited, with both Marvin Pieringer and Sirlord Conteh ruled out. Budu Zivzivadze will likely be flanked by Arjon Ibrahimovic and Mathias Honsak

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

Werder Bremen

Bremen secured a much-needed 1-0 win against St. Pauli last time out, keeping their second clean sheet in four games. However, their defensive record remains a concern, having conceded 14 goals in six matches – the second worst in the division.

Horst Steffen’s side have been inconsistent, winning only two of their opening seven league games after a strong finish to last season. Their away form has been particularly poor, losing three of four on the road, and conceding four goals in each of their last two Bundesliga away defeats.

Despite that, Werder’s attack has shown promise, with nine goals scored – the second-most among the bottom half – and they will fancy their chances against a struggling Heidenheim backline. 

Team News

Defensive absences continue to trouble Die Grün-Weißen, with Niklas Stark and Maximilian Wöber both sidelined, while Victor Boniface could return to the starting 11.

Predicted lineup – 4-3-3: Backhaus – Sugawara, Coulibaly, Friedl, Schmidt – Lynen, Stage, Puertas – Schmid, Njinmah, Mbangula