Heidenheim vs Union Berlin Preview: Team News & Prediction
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Heidenheim have been one of the great stories in European football but it could have a sour few months as they now prepare to take one of the other great stories in recent times, Union Berlin.
Kick-off date/time: Saturday 11th January, 2025: UK – 2:30pm / US ET – 9:30am / US PT – 6:30am
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – Some matches will be televised on ESPN channels so it is worth checking their schedules
How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – ESPN+
Heidenheim Preview: A relegation battle
Heidenheim have risen from the sixth-tier of German football to the top-flight in the last decade with UEFA Europa Conference League qualification last season but things have taken a turn this season as they begin the restart in the bottom three and the relegation playoff place.
The home team went into the winter break on the back of a 2-0 defeat to fellow strugglers and bottom-of-the-table Bochum a few weeks ago. That means they have now suffered seven successive defeats in the Bundesliga.
Union Berlin Preview: Another fresh start
Like Heidenheim, Union Berlin recently rose to the Bundesliga for the first time ever and then rose through the UEFA Europa Conference League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Champions League but they have sunk into the bottom-half this season after a bright start.
Their 4-1 loss to Werder Bremen a few weeks ago ahead of the winter break prompted the capital city club to part company with manager Bo Svensson and he has been replaced by former Cologne boss Steffen Baumgart.
Heidenheim Team News: Pieringer suspension
Heidenheim have a couple of injury doubts but their most important absentee for this weekend would be forward Marvin Pieringer, who is missing through suspension. Both Mathias Honsak and Lennard Maloney are injury doubts, too.
Predicted XI (4-1-2-1-2): Muller; Traore, Mainka, Siersleben, Fohrenbach; Keller; Dorsch, Schoppner; Wanner; Schimmer, Kaufmann
Unavailable: Pieringer (Suspended)
Questionable: Maloney (Injured), Honsak (Injured)
Union Berlin Team News: Khedira suspension
Rani Khedira, a key man in defensive midfield, is unavailable for Union Berlin this weekend as he deals with suspension. They also have a couple of key injury doubts such as Andrej Ilic and Jeong Woo-yeong.
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Schwolow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite; Trimmel, Schafer, Tousart, Rothe; Skov, Vertessen; Hollerbach
Unavailable: Khedira (Suspended)
Questionable: Ilic (Injured), Jeong (Injured)
Heidenheim vs Union Berlin Prediction
These are two of the teams that have created some of the best stories in European football over the last decade. Heidenheim have suffered a rapid decline similar to that of Union Berlin’s collapse in the first-half of last season. However, even with a tiny budget of Union, Heidenheim’s budget is even smaller and their squad is even weaker. Union have new management and will fancy their chances of getting themselves off to a good start to the New Year.
Heidenheim vs Union Berlin Tip: Double chance – Union Berlin to win or draw
