Heidenheim vs Stuttgart – News and Probable Lineups

Heidenheim, eager to stay competitive at the bottom of the Bundesliga standings, are set to host Champions League aspirants Stuttgart at Voith-Arena this Sunday.

FCH aims to prevent a fifth consecutive defeat, while Die Roten are targeting their third win in a row.

Match overview

Frank Schmidt’s Heidenheim narrowly avoided relegation in the 2024-25 season, winning in the playoff, but they now face the risk of falling behind their competitors in the current campaign.

Last Sunday, FCH fell to a 1-0 loss against Augsburg, extending their winless streak to nine matches, during which they have managed merely two draws and suffered four consecutive defeats preceding this fixture.

Compounding their struggles, Schmidt’s side has found the net only once in their current four-match losing streak – a 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on February 1.

Heidenheim’s latest disappointing performance has left them as relegation favorites, stuck at the bottom with just 13 points—six behind 16th-placed Werder Bremen and seven points from safety.

Although they will be significant underdogs this weekend, some home fans may take solace in the fact that the club has gathered nine of their points at Voith-Arena, despite losing all but one match in front of their own supporters so far in 2026.

In contrast, Sebastian Hoeness’s Stuttgart are having an impressive season, entering this matchup in fine form as they look to secure a place in the Bundesliga top four.

Most recently, Die Roten followed a 3-1 victory over FC Koln with a resounding 4-1 win against Scottish giants Celtic on Thursday, putting them in a strong position ahead of the second leg of their Europa League playoff.

Returning to league action this weekend, Hoeness’s team currently sits fourth in the standings—on track for Champions League football—but their 42-point tally keeps them close to fifth-placed RB Leipzig.

With their European aspirations on the line, Sunday’s away team will draw confidence from their solid away record this season, which includes five wins and just one defeat in their last six competitions in Germany, as well as three victories in their previous four matches overall.

However, Stuttgart did suffer a 2-1 defeat against second-from-bottom St Pauli on their last Bundesliga away outing, a surprising result that may cause some fans to be cautious when facing another relegation-threatened side this weekend.

Team News

Heidenheim boasts a relatively healthy squad for this encounter, although left-back Leart Paqarada is still unavailable following an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in September, while 19-year-old center-back Adam Kolle is dealing with a muscle issue.

In their absence, Schmidt might favor a defensive setup featuring Marnon Busch, Patrick Mainka, and Benedikt Gimber this weekend, supported by Hennes Behrens and the versatile Arijon Ibrahimovic at wing-back.

Additionally, midfielder Niklas Dorsch is a doubt due to illness, but Julian Niehues and Jan Schoppner should be ready to start in the center of the park.

As for Stuttgart, they will be without wingers Justin Diehl and Lazar Jovanovic because of injuries to their adductor and back, respectively, so expect striker Ermedin Demirovic to be supported by a trio of Jamie Leweling, Deniz Undav, and Chris Fuhrich.

On the defensive front, centre-back Dan-Axel Zagadou is sidelined with a thigh issue, but Hoeness is expected to have Finn Jeltsch and Julian Chabot available to anchor his defense on Sunday.

Heidenheim probable starting XI:

Ramaj; Bush, Mainka, Gimber; Ibrahimovic, Niehues, Schoppner, Behrens; Dinkci, Pieringer, Conteh

Stuttgart probable starting XI:

Nubel; Vagnoman, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; Leweling, Undav, Fuhrich; Demirovic

Heidenheim has struggled to secure points this season, and they have found scoring particularly challenging in recent weeks, making it plausible that they might again find themselves unable to score this weekend.

In contrast, Stuttgart has been effective away from home during the 2025-26 season, although they will need to maintain their concentration to prevent a recurrence of their surprising defeat against St Pauli earlier this month.