Two relegation-threatened teams, Heidenheim and St Pauli, will clash in a gameweek 18 Bundesliga fixture at the Voith-Arena on Saturday.
Both sides, currently tied on 14 points and above the drop zone on goal difference, will head into the encounter looking to increase the distance between them and the relegation zone.
Match preview
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Heidenheim ended a seven-game winless streak in their first Bundesliga outing of 2025 with a 2-0 home triumph over Union Berlin last weekend, before following that up with a 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen at the Weserstadion in their second league fixture of the year.
With four points from two games in 2025, Frank Schmidt's team have earned as many points as they managed in their last 13 league matches before the turn of the year.
Having finished eighth last season, the hosts have struggled for consistency this term, claiming only four wins and two draws across 17 matches in the top division.
Schmidt's charges have been decent in front of goal, hitting the back of the net 23 times in the current campaign; however, the same cannot be said of their defensive abilities, with the home side conceding 36 goals so far, making them the outfit with the third-worst defensive record in the league.
The hosts have also struggled in front of their fans, boasting only two wins, two draws and four losses in eight fixtures – the second-worst home record in the elite division.
A bad run of form on their patch hardly inspires confidence ahead of the visit of St Pauli, but Heidenheim can draw some inspiration from their recent performance in the league and the 2-0 reverse fixture victory going into the clash.
Should the home side emerge victorious in this match, they could move up two places in the table to 13th, even if that outcome is contingent on Union Berlin losing against Mainz.
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Meanwhile, St Pauli's continued stay in the German top division is nowhere near guaranteed, given the results they have been posting this season.
The Neighbourhood Kickers made a return to the German top flight for the 2024-25 season after a 14-year absence from the elite division; however, their return to the Bundesliga has been far from easy – sitting 14th in the table with 14 points from 17 matches, which leaves them two places above the relegation playoff spot.
Like the home side, the visitors have also struggled for consistency this term, highlighting why they have been in and around the relegation zone since the start of the season.
Alexander Blessin's team might have ended 2024 with a 1-0 triumph over Stuttgart at the MPH Arena in gameweek 15, snapping a two-game losing streak in the process, but the visitors are yet to secure a point in 2025 after two league outings.
St Pauli have lost in back-to-back league matches to Eintracht Frankfurt (2-0) and Bochum (1-0) since the beginning of the year, underlining the topsy-turvy nature of their campaign.
A loss at the Voith-Arena on Saturday will see the Neighbourhood Kickers extend their winless streak to three games for the first time since September 15.
Nevertheless, a ray of hope for the visiting side is that they have secured better results on their travels – three of their four wins this season have come on the road.
Team News
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Frank Schmidt has an almost fully fit squad to choose from, but Julian Niehues (knee), Denis Thomalla (Illness) and Mathias Honsak (muscle) are unlikely to play any part in this fixture.
Despite firing blanks on his return from suspension for Werder Bremen, Marvin Pieringer, who has six goal involvements, should get a starting nod up front along with Budu Zivzivadze.
For the visitors, Adam Dzwigala is suspended for this match after being sent off in his last outing against Bochum, while Connor Metcalfe (muscular), Lars Ritzka (back), Robert Wagner (hamstring), Elias Saad (fitness) and Johannes Eggestein (illness) are all sidelined.
Meanwhile, Nikola Vasilj is expected to continue in goal due to the absence of Soren Ahlers and Sascha Burchert.
Heidenheim possible starting lineup:
Muller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Busch; Wanner, Schoppner, Dorsch, Kratzig; Pieringer, Zivzivadze
St Pauli possible starting lineup:
Vasilj; Wahl, Smith, Nemeth; Irvine, Boukhalfa, Saliakas, Treu; Afolayan, Sinani, Guilavogui
We say: Heidenheim 2-2 St Pauli
Both sides have secured four wins in the Bundesliga this season, but the home team holds an advantage with a win and a draw in 2025.
The visitors, aiming to break their winless streak this year, will rely on their away form to secure a positive outcome, potentially leading to a 2-2 draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
