1st FC Heidenheim 1846 – FC Augsburg
The Bundesliga is on Sunday of the 8th matchday all about the relegation battle. After the Rhine derby between Cologne and Gladbach is already on the schedule in the afternoon, Heidenheim and Augsburg meet at 17:30. The hosts from the Ostalb want to maintain their strong home form. Find out whether the Voith Arena will remain a fortress in our Heidenheim – Augsburg tip.
The last two home games were very pleasing for the men from the Brenz and ended with two victories against Bremen and Union. With seven points, Heidenheim is in a solid tenth place in the table so far.
The guests from the Fuggerstadt, meanwhile, are four places below the hosts. FCA has only earned four points so far. After the defeat against Darmstadt before the international break, Augsburg suspended their coach Enrico Maassen due to the persistent poor form and introduced the Dane Jess Thorup as the new coach.
Heidenheim – Augsburg info:
- Date & Time: 10/22/2023, 5:30 p.m.
- Game venue: Voith Arena, Heidenheim
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 8.
- TV broadcast: DAZN
Heidenheim form & balance check
Last July, 1. FC Heidenheim realized a remarkable promotion from the 2. Bundesliga after this success had been in the offing for several years. But at the start of the new season, the team under the leadership of coach Frank Schmidt initially suffered some instructive defeats when it lost its first two games.
After that, however, things went much better for the men from the Brenz. Heidenheim picked up seven points from their last four games and climbed steadily up the table as a result. Before the international break, however, Heidenheim suffered a 2-0 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt. Before the clash with FCA, the team from the Ostalb is in tenth place.
Maloney extremely important
Berlin-born Lennard Maloney is putting in impressive performances this season. Playing six for Heidenheim, he has even earned the title of the fastest runner of all Bundesliga players with 89.8 kilometers covered. In addition, the 24-year-old’s 641 intense runs are the second-highest number in the entire Bundesliga, surpassed only by Wolfsburg’s Lovro Majer.
In his first seven games, Maloney has also established himself as an indispensable mainstay in the German top flight, playing an impressive 99 percent of all possible minutes in the league. During the international break, the midfield powerhouse made his debut for the U.S. when he was substituted in the match against Ghana.
Heidenheim facts & analysis
- In 10th place in the Bundesliga standings.
- Lost 0:2 against Frankfurt in last game
- Won last two home games
Augsburg form & balance check
Even the past second half of the season was more than unfortunate for the Fuggerstädter. From the last eleven games of the preseason, FCA picked up only a single victory. And the start to this season was no better. The somewhat fortunate victory against their direct rivals from Mainz is FCA’s only win of the season so far.
However, the men from the Lech could not build on this success. Because Augsburg lost the last two games against Freiburg and Darmstadt. Especially the home defeat against the promoted team from Hesse was more than disappointing for the FCA fans. As a result, it became too much for those responsible at the Fuggerstädtern and coach Maaßen was fired.
New coach, same captain
The new man on the Augsburg bench is now Jess Thorup. This is the 53-year-old’s first coaching stint in German soccer. Previously, the Dane had only been head coach in his home country and in Belgium. With Copenhagen and Midtjylland, he also won the championship title in Denmark once each.
However, just like his predecessor, the new coach will rely heavily on the FCA captain. That’s because FC Augsburg currently relies heavily on Ermedin Demirovic in its offense. The Bosnian striker has scored Augsburg’s last four goals single-handedly and has been directly involved in his team’s previous six goals, as he has also provided two assists.
Augsburg facts & analysis
- Fifteenth in the Bundesliga.
- Lost 1:2 against Darmstadt in last game
- Only two wins from last 18 games in league
Predicted lineup – last update on October 21, 2023
1. FC Heidenheim is expected to field the usual 4-2-3-1 lineup, which we have already observed in previous matches. The offensive trio consisting of Beste, Kleindienst and Dinkci will once again line up against Augsburg. In addition, new US international Lennard Maloney is expected to be in the starting lineup once again.
At FCA, the clash with Heidenheim will be the debut of the new coach. Jess Thorup prefers the 4-2-3-1 and let play in this system also at FC Copenhagen. Therefore, we expect the FCA on Sunday also with this formation.
Heidenheim – Augsburg direct comparison & statistics
Both teams have never met in a competitive match before. When FC Augsburg was promoted to the Bundesliga in 2011, Heidenheim was playing only its second season in the 3. Liga.
- First duel between the two clubs.
- Both teams separated by two points in the league
- Both stadiums are only 67 kilometers apart
