Heidenheim vs Hoffenheim – News and Probable Lineups

As the Champions League battle heats up, Hoffenheim will aim to secure a victory against struggling Heidenheim at Voith Arena during Saturday’s Bundesliga matchup.

The home side currently finds themselves at the bottom of the league in 18th place with only 14 points, trailing nine points behind safety, while Hoffenheim sits in third with 46 points but faced a 1-0 defeat against St Pauli on February 28.

Match overview

Heidenheim’s chances of remaining in the top division are slim; despite having 10 matches left in their Bundesliga campaign, they have gone winless in their last 11 league outings, managing just three points during that stretch.

The most recent match for the team ended in a 2-0 loss to Werder Bremen on February 28, where they encountered eight significant chances.

Head coach Frank Schmidt will be hoping for a defensive revival, as his team has conceded at least two goals in five of their last six fixtures, during which they also failed to find the back of the net four times.

The hosts were defeated 3-1 in their previous encounter with Hoffenheim back in October 2025. Although this marked their sixth match against the visitors without a win, they did manage to secure three draws in a row prior to this season’s loss.

Voith Arena hasn’t been a stronghold this season, as Heidenheim has failed to clinch victory in 11 of their 13 home matches, including their last five games there (three losses and two draws).

Hoffenheim missed several clear-cut opportunities against St Pauli, failing to convert all five major chances they created and ultimately losing despite allowing only two shots on target in the box.

The team’s recent poor form – with two losses, one draw, and one win in their last four league matches – leaves them only three points ahead of sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

Die Kraichgauer’s recent defeat marked the first occasion in nine games where they failed to score, a run in which they had netted 20 goals.

Nevertheless, Christian Ilzer’s side has only managed to keep one clean sheet in their last five games, conceding nine times, including five goals in a 5-1 setback against Bayern Munich on February 8.

The visitors have lost once in their last five away matches; however, they secured two victories, have one defeat, and were held to one draw in their last two away games.

Team News

Leart Paqarada, the wing-back for Heidenheim, is confirmed out for the upcoming match, having been sidelined since September due to a serious knee injury; it’s expected that Hennes Behrens will take his place on the left side of defense.

Marvin Pieringer will be aiming to score for the first time in nine games, however, he will require support from the wide players Eren Dinkci and Sirlord Conteh.

Hoffenheim’s roster remains largely intact, although forward Adam Hlozek (calf) and center-back Koki Machida (knee) will not feature.

Ozan Kabak and Albian Hajdari could be positioned in the center of a back four, while Andrej Kramaric, Fisnik Asllani, and Bazoumana Toure are likely to be involved in the attacking line.

In midfield, the visitors might deploy Grischa Promel, Leon Avdullahu, and Wouter Burger as a triad.

Heidenheim probable starting XI:

Ramaj; Stergiou, Mainka, Gimber; Ibrahimovic, Niehues, Dorsch, Behrens; Dinkci, Pieringer, Conteh

Hoffenheim probable starting XI:

Baumann; Coufal, Kabak, Hajdari, Bernardo; Promel, Avdullahu, Burger; Kramaric; Aslan, Toure