Hoffenheim will aim to break their winless streak of four league games when they face Heidenheim in a thrilling Bundesliga encounter on Saturday.
If Heidenheim secures an away victory, they can climb above Hoffenheim in the league standings.
Match Preview:
After a strong start to the season with six wins in their first nine league games, Hoffenheim has struggled to maintain momentum and has only managed one victory in the following nine matches. As a result, they have slipped to eighth place in the table.
In their first game after the winter break, Hoffenheim suffered a 3-0 defeat to reigning champions Bayern Munich, followed by a narrow 3-2 loss against Freiburg last weekend.
Despite a commendable comeback from two goals down at Europa-Park Stadion, Hoffenheim was left frustrated by Roland Sallai’s late winner. The fact that they were playing with 10 men after Manuel Gulde’s dismissal added to their disappointment.
Hoffenheim’s defensive structure and performance levels have been concerning, conceding three goals in each of their last four outings.
This includes matches where they took the lead three times, only to be pegged back by bottom-placed SV Darmstadt 98.
In contrast, Heidenheim enters this fixture in superior form, extending their unbeaten run to five matches with a 1-1 draw against Wolfsburg last weekend.
Prior to the winter break, Frank Schmidt’s team won three consecutive matches, and they have carried that momentum into the New Year with back-to-back 1-1 draws. These positive results have kept them comfortably in the top half of the table.
Heidenheim fell behind early against Wolfsburg, but a stroke of luck saw them level the score just before halftime due to an own goal by Mortiz Jenz.
Towards the end of the match, both teams seemed content with sharing the points as neither could find a breakthrough.
Schmidt and his players have performed admirably, accumulating twice as many points as Darmstadt, FC Koln, and Mainz 05, who currently occupy the automatic relegation places. This should give them enough confidence to ensure their survival in their first Bundesliga campaign.
However, Schmidt will be wary of any complacency among his players, considering the hard work they have put in to secure a place in the top half of the table. A victory on Saturday would propel Heidenheim to eighth position, adding further motivation for the team.
Hoffenheim Bundesliga Form: Loss, Win, Loss, Draw, Loss, Loss
Heidenheim Bundesliga Form: Loss, Win, Win, Win, Draw, Draw
Team News:
Hoffenheim will be missing Diadie Samassekou, who is representing Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Turkey defender Ozan Kabak is suspended due to receiving his fifth caution of the season against Freiburg.
Kevin Akpoguma is the likely replacement for Kabak in the starting lineup. Mergim Berisha and Marco John are ruled out for the rest of the season due to ACL injuries, while Dennis Geiger continues to recover from a groin issue.
Grischa Promel is expected to return to the midfield after serving a one-match suspension.
Heidenheim will travel without Thomas Keller and Elidon Qenaj, both sidelined with knee injuries. Christian Kuhlwetter should be available after recovering from illness, but he is unlikely to feature in the match.
Coach Schmidt is expected to field the same lineup that drew 1-1 against Wolfsburg.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Hoffenheim: (3-4-1-2)
Baumann;
Akpoguma, Grillitsch, Nsoki;
Kaderabek, Promel, Stach, Bulter;
Kramaric;
Weghorst, Beier
Heidenheim: (4-2-3-1)
Muller;
Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Fohrenbach;
Schoppner, Maloney;
Dinkci, Beck, Beste;
Kleindienst
Prediction: Hoffenheim 2-2 Heidenheim
Considering Hoffenheim’s recent defensive struggles, Heidenheim has a good chance of causing an upset. The visitors are known for their effectiveness from set-pieces, which could trouble Hoffenheim.
However, Hoffenheim possesses greater individual talent in offensive areas and should be able to score goals themselves. We predict an entertaining draw between two mid-table teams.
