Bundesliga: Can Heidenheim Catch Leipzig off-Guard?

FC Heidenheim vs RB Leipzig

A Sunday showdown at the Voith-Arena sees sixth-place Heidenheim battling against RB Leipzig—third in the Bundesliga and one of two teams who are yet to face a defeat in the German top flight.

The hosts will have their work cut out for them, with a midweek clash at the UEFA Conference League happening right before they meet Die Roten Bullen, leaving Heidenheim just one day of recovery in between matches.

For the visiting side, an away win would be a much-needed boost after a string of subpar results.

With only one win in their last five games in all competitions, it hasn’t been going all too well for Leipzig so far. Regardless of the situation they’re in, they’ve still done enough to stay undefeated in the league.

But they should be wary when they face a hungry Heidenheim side that are smelling blood and could no doubt dent their clean record.

 

Talking Points

Heidenheim’s enthralling visit in Mainz

Frank Schmidt’s side started their 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign with huge wins over St. Pauli and Augsburg. But after scoring six goals and conceding none during those two meetings, Heidenheim were brought right back to earth by Borussia Dortmund and Freiburg.

Naturally, they’d want to bounce back and return to winning ways. And that’s exactly what they did against Mainz in last week’s affair.

A match that delivered goals and red cards, Heidenheim escaped MEWA Arena with an important win to keep them within striking distance at the top.

Goals from Marvin Pieringer and Jan Schoppner were enough for a 2-0 win that saw Mainz’s Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Heidenheim’s Niklas Dorsch get the marching orders.

Pieringer’s goal arrived in the 15^th minute after his right foot connected with Jonas Fohrenbach’s cross.

The first red card was then given near the half-hour mark, when Hanche-Olsen was booked for his second yellow card. But Heidenheim were unable to capitalise as Mainz showed grit and toughness in surviving the match with 10 men.

Dorsch’s sending off in the 80^th minute gave the home fans a bit of hope, but it was shunned down quickly after Schoppner’s header in the 86^th minute.

 

A disappointing UCL tie for Die Roten Bullen

Leipzig were on the cusp of their first Champions League win this season when Juventus turned things around and produced a 3-2 win at the Red Bull Arena.

Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko scored the opener in the 30^th minute when a fastbreak broke out for the home side, and Lois Openda’s pass found Sesko, who controlled the ball well before smashing it past Michele Di Gregorio.

Dusan Vlahovic scored the equaliser a few minutes after the restart when he met Andrea Cambiaso’s cross with a quick strike. Di Gregorio was then sent off,  nine minutes after Vlahovic’s goal, for a handball outside the box.

A penalty was awarded to Leipzig a few minutes later—due to another handball—with Sesko scoring the spot kick afterwards to lead 2-1.

But the Old Lady wouldn’t go down and soon found themselves on level pegging once more after Dusan Vlahovic scored a long shot that left the keeper with no chance.

Leipzig had more chances to close the game out but to no avail. To their dismay, it was Juventus, instead, who had the last laugh—Francisco Conceicao beating his defender one-on-one and scoring past Peter Gulacsi.

The loss was Leipzig’s second in a row in the Champions League—yet another difficult match after their loss to Atletico Madrid, who defeated them with a late winner.

 

History

There have been eight meetings contested between Heidenheim and Leipzig since 2013, with Die Roten Bullen winning four times and drawing thrice; Heidenheim’s only win came in the second tier back in 2015.

All their meetings in the league last year ended with a scoreline of 2-1 in favour of Leipzig.

 

Betting Tip

Despite their recent struggles, Leipzig are an attacking team and can score in bunches if need be. Hence, I believe that they’re going to dispose of Heidenheim quite comfortably.

But if you want a straightforward bet, the SBOTOP Bundesliga 2024 odds price Leipzig at 1.64, whilst Heidenheim are underdogs at 4.32, with a draw going for 3.86.

There will be plenty of Bundesliga 2024 highlights for this match, with the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Lois Openda and Xavi Simons being at the forefront for Die Roten Bullen. For the home side, Maximilian Breunig, Marvin Pieringer, Jan Schoppner and Paul Wanner all have two goals each, and could very well look to extend their tally come Sunday.

   

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