After 18 years in office, Frank Schmidt is experiencing his most difficult phase at 1. FC Heidenheim. Never before has his team been at the bottom of the table without any points after four Bundesliga matchdays, and now he welcomes FC Augsburg on Saturday, an opponent that is hardly in a better position with only one point. The recent 1-2 defeat at HSV was particularly bitter, especially as his team had plenty of chances, while Augsburg coach Sandro Wagner even made a historic four-player change at half-time after the 1-4 home defeat to Mainz and subsequently apologized to his own fans. Interestingly, the head-to-head record shows a clear trend in favor of the Fuggerstadt team, which has won four of the five Bundesliga duels so far, with Heidenheim’s only success being an impressive 4-0 win at home in September 2024. In this basement battle on matchday 5, both teams will be fighting for important points in the early battle against relegation.
- Venue: Voith Arena, Heidenheim an der Brenz
- Date and time: September 27, 2025, 3:30 p.m.
- Competition: Bundesliga (Matchday 5)
Heidenheim form & record check
The current form of 1. FC Heidenheim is alarming. After four Bundesliga match days, Frank Schmidt’s team is still without a point and is at the bottom of the table. The recent 1-2 defeat at Hamburger SV was symptomatic of the season so far: good chances are not being taken consistently, while the defense is conceding too many easy goals. The statistics show that Heidenheim has scored in all four league games, but has also conceded goals in each of them. The 0-2 home defeat against Dortmund was understandable, but the narrow defeats in Hamburg (1-2) and against Wolfsburg (1-3) are particularly painful. Against Leipzig, they suffered a clear 0-2 defeat. There was a ray of hope in the DFB Cup with a confident 5-0 win against Oberliga side Bahlinger SC, which shows that the team can certainly perform when the opponent is weaker. In the Bundesliga, however, they lack composure in front of goal and defensive stability. Schmidt continues to be plagued by several absences. Mathias Honsak was recently sidelined with a muscle injury, but is expected to return against Augsburg. Paçarada (cruciate ligament rupture) and Pieringer (ankle injury) are out for the long term. The injury worries make it difficult for Schmidt to bring consistency to his starting eleven and develop tactical alternatives.
Frank Schmidt is likely to stick with his usual 4-3-2-1 formation against Augsburg. Ramaj is expected to start in goal, with Traoré, Mainka, Gimber, and Föhrenbach forming the back four. Kerber, Dorsch, and Schöppner could play in midfield, while Conteh and Ibrahimovic occupy the attacking wide positions. Kaufmann would then take over as striker. The personnel situation remains tense: Pieringer, Honsak, Paçarada, Keller, and Feller are all missing due to injury. Honsak was recently sidelined in Hamburg due to muscle problems, but could be available again against Augsburg. The Austrian international would be an important option for the offense, which is in desperate need of reinforcement.
Augsburg form & record check
FC Augsburg’s form has been mixed at the start of the new season. After a promising 3-1 away win in Freiburg on the first matchday, Sandro Wagner’s team has hit rough waters. Three consecutive defeats in the league, including a bitter 1-4 home defeat to Mainz, have already pushed Augsburg to the brink early in the season. The Fuggerstadt team’s offensive power is particularly striking: in all five of their most recent games, the team has scored at least once, which is quite remarkable. At the same time, Augsburg has conceded goals in four of its last five games, which underlines its defensive vulnerability. The current picture is dominated by high-scoring games, with the 4-1 home defeat to Mainz being particularly painful. Wagner’s team revealed serious deficiencies against the Rheinhessen side. Simple losses of possession by Matsima and Rieder led to the early goals, prompting the coach to make a historic four-player substitution at halftime. Fellhauer, Jakic, Schlotterbeck, and Essende came on for Zesiger, Wolf, Rexhbecaj, and Saad. Wagner later emphasized that he could have replaced almost the entire team. Essende’s return after his months-long red card suspension could open up new tactical options for Wagner. The striker did manage to score the consolation goal against Mainz, even if it was too late to turn the game around. With Claude-Maurice and Schlotterbeck back to full fitness, the coach has more alternatives at his disposal, with only Giannoulis and Kade remaining sidelined.
Sandro Wagner is likely to field his Fuggerstadt team in their usual 3-4-2-1 formation. With Dahmen in goal and a back three of Matsima, Schlotterbeck, and Zesiger, FCA could be ready to go. After the disastrous 1-4 defeat to Mainz, Wagner is faced with personnel decisions, as his four substitutions at half-time had no lasting effect. The return of Samuel Essende after his long suspension increases the options in attack. The striker made his comeback against Mainz after a three-month absence and could now start again. With Gouweleeuw, Giannoulis, and Kade all out with injuries, Wagner has fewer options in defense.
H2H Heidenheim – Augsburg Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The record between Heidenheim and Augsburg paints a clear picture: FCH has only won once in the last five encounters. Augsburg have won four times, and there has never been a draw between these two teams. Heidenheim’s only victory was quite impressive: in September 2024, they beat Augsburg 4-0, a result that is out of the ordinary in this head-to-head matchup. Otherwise, FCH has often come up short against the Swabians. Augsburg has been particularly strong at halftime in this rivalry. In four of the last five games, the visitors were already leading after 45 minutes, which points to their ability to set the pace early in the game. Heidenheim is currently on a three-game losing streak against the Fuggerstadt team. The most recent meeting in January 2025 ended 2-1 in favor of Augsburg. Back then, at the WWK Arena, the home side narrowly prevailed. At home, Heidenheim has already lost 2-5 to Augsburg, which shows that home advantage is not necessarily decisive in this pairing.
The key lies in the defensive problems of both teams: All nine combined Bundesliga matches between Heidenheim and Augsburg have produced at least three goals, making over 2.5 goals the most reliable option. It is particularly noteworthy that Augsburg has scored in each of its five league games despite mixed results, while Heidenheim’s defense has already conceded three or more goals three times. With Paçarada and Gouweleeuw out, both teams are missing key defensive players. For more daring bettors, over 3.5 goals at odds of around 3.0 offers interesting value, especially since four of Augsburg’s last five games have exceeded this mark. In contrast, a draw is tempting with attractive odds of 3.5, as neither club has drawn so far and both are under pressure after heavy setbacks. Despite the 1-4 defeat against Mainz, bookmakers still rate Augsburg as slight favorites, but analysis shows two teams of similar caliber, both desperately seeking their first wins.
