Heidenheim vs Mainz – News and Probable Lineups

In a bid to secure their place in the Bundesliga, Heidenheim will make a final stand at Voith-Arena on Saturday as they face Mainz 05 in their last match of the season.

FCH seeks an impressive fourth victory in six fixtures, while Die Nullfunfer aim to bounce back after their recent defeat.

Match overview

Just a few weeks back, Frank Schmidt’s Heidenheim appeared destined for relegation, but a stunning turnaround has now made a great escape a realistic possibility on the final matchday of the Bundesliga.

Currently sitting in 17th place in the standings, FCH is level on 26 points with Wolfsburg and St Pauli, marking the first time in 63 seasons that all relegation contenders are tied at this point in the season.

Having narrowly avoided relegation in the 2024-25 season after winning the playoff, Heidenheim must win this weekend while also monitoring the Kiezkicker’s matchup against Die Wolfe.

If their rivals draw, Heidenheim only needs a victory, but if St Pauli wins, they must secure a larger margin of victory. If Wolfsburg triumphs, FCH will need to win while overcoming a three-goal difference compared to the White and Greens.

While requiring a win typically raises doubts over a relegation candidate’s chances, Schmidt has guided the team to a solid resurgence in recent weeks.

Most recently, FCH won 3-1 against FC Koln on Sunday, following a 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich and a crucial 2-0 victory against St Pauli on April 25.

With this in mind, supporters heading to Voith-Arena this weekend will be filled with hope, especially after witnessing the hosts claim back-to-back victories at home leading into this match.

Conversely, Mainz could have faced a similar situation as their rivals had Urs Fischer not taken charge in December, yet now the team is comfortably secured for another season in the Bundesliga.

Presently sitting in 10th place, Die Nullfunfer’s 37 points place them well clear of the relegation zone but also 11 points shy of the top six.

Fischer’s squad is essentially playing for position at this juncture, and they will aim to finish the season positively after a poor run which included being knocked out of the Conference League semi-finals by Strasbourg and losing four of their last six matches.

Adding to their troubles, Mainz’s 3-1 loss to Union Berlin on Sunday means they have only one domestic win—2-1 against St Pauli—since their previous victory over Hoffenheim on April 4.

However, supporters traveling this weekend will feel positive as the visitors have only lost once in their last seven away encounters, having won three of their last four Bundesliga fixtures on the road.

Team News

Heidenheim will be without left-back Leart Paqarada for this match as he continues his recovery from a long-standing knee injury, while right-back Marnon-Thomas Busch is a doubt after sustaining a knock.

If Busch cannot play, Schmidt may opt for Omar Traore and Hennes Behrens at full-back once more, alongside centre-backs Patrick Mainka and Jonas Fohrenbach.

In addition, attacking midfielder Sirlord Conteh remains out due to a knee injury, so Eren Dinkci and Arijon Ibrahimovic are expected to occupy the flanks, supporting Marvin Pieringer and Budu Zivzivadze in attack.

On the Mainz side, they will miss centre-back Maxim Dal, who is nearing a return from his knee injury, while Danny da Costa may also be unavailable due to a knock, along with Maxim Leitsch who is struggling with a thigh issue.

If both Da Costa and Leitsch do not feature, then Dominik Kohr, Stefan Posch, and Kacper Potulski are likely to form the defensive core of Fischer’s setup, flanked by Anthony Caci and Philipp Mwene in wing-back roles.

At the other end, strikers Benedict Hollerbach and Silas are both sidelined for an extended period as they recover from Achilles and ankle injuries, respectively, while Phillip Tietz and Sheraldo Becker should be positioned up front.

Heidenheim probable starting XI:

Feller; Traore, Mainka, Fohrenbach, Behrens; Dinkci, Schoppner, Dorsch, Ibrahimovic; Pieringer, Zivzivadze

Mainz 05 probable starting XI:

Batz; Kohr, Posch, Potulski; Caci, Nebel, Sano, Amiri, Mwene; Tietz, Becker

Heidenheim is in good form, and with their intense desire for a win this weekend, they might overwhelm their rivals.

Mainz is only competing for their standing at this point, entering this fixture in poor form, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them defeated once again.