RB Leipzig – 1. FC Heidenheim 1846
Directly after the European competitions during the week, the next matchday in the Bundesliga is already casting its shadow. The 13th round promises some thrilling duels in the conference at the weekend. On Saturday afternoon, two teams that have so far positioned themselves at different ends of the table collide in Saxony. In our Leipzig – Heidenheim betting tip, we take a look at who is the favorite going into this encounter.
As usual, Leipzig are at the top of the table and currently occupy 5th place. In the previous week, however, the Saxons lost to their most feared opponent of the season. After RasenBallsport had already been defeated by Wolfsburg in the 2nd round of the DFB Cup, Leipzig also lost 2:1 to the Wolves in the league.
Their upcoming opponents from the Ostalb, on the other hand, picked up a point in the previous week. The clash with VfL Bochum ended in an extremely soporific 0-0 draw, in which both teams only managed a total of five shots on goal. As a result, Heidenheim remain in 13th place in the table
Leipzig – Heidenheim Info:
- Date & Time: 02.12.2023, 3:30 pm
- Playing venue: Red Bull Arena, Leipzig
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 13
- TV broadcast: Sky
Leipzig Form & Balance Check
After RB Leipzig’s 3-0 win over Bayern in the Supercup, many pundits expected the Saxons to be in a fierce battle for the championship. After the start of the season, however, Bayer Leverkusen appear to be taking this role in the table. Leipzig, on the other hand, only find themselves in 5th place in the table.
Thanks to the Champions League revolution, this place could be enough to qualify for the top flight, but the Saxons are not relying on that. RB suffered a narrow 3:2 defeat against Man City in the Champions League on Tuesday. After the 2-1 defeat in Wolfsburg at the weekend, it was the second competitive match defeat in a row
Poulsen still important
Yussuf Poulsen is the long-standing face of the still young club RB Leipzig. The Dane has even been on the pitch in all six meetings between RB Leipzig and Heidenheim, scoring two goals in the process. The Danish attacker also scored once in the last clash between the two teams in March 2016.
The 29-year-old also made his mark last weekend when he scored his first goal of the season in Wolfsburg. Poulsen has also made eleven Bundesliga appearances so far this season and only needs eight more appearances to equal the number of Bundesliga games he made in the previous season
Leipzig facts & analysis
- Lost 1:2 in Wolfsburg the previous week
- Fourth-best offense in the league
- Fifth in the Bundesliga
Heidenheim Form & Balance Check
The summer in Heidenheim an der Brenz marked a historic time, as FCH were promoted from the Bundesliga 2 to the top flight for the first time. After promotion, many experts also saw the chances of the men from the Ostalb staying in the league as very promising. At present, it seems that these experts may be right.
After the first twelve games, coach Frank Schmidt’s men have a four-point lead over Union Berlin in 17th place, meaning that Heidenheim are currently in 13th place. In the previous week, the team from Brenz also snatched a 0-0 draw in the basement duel with VfL Bochum
Müller provides security
One of the most decisive factors for Bundesliga promoted teams to successfully avoid relegation is having a secure backline. And that’s exactly what 1. FC Heidenheim has between the posts. Kevin Müller is hugely important for the men from the Brenz and has already kept the Heidenheim team from the Ostalb in the lower division.
The now 32-year-old comes from the youth ranks of Hansa Rostock and even won the German youth championship with the Hanseatic club in 2010. The keeper has been at home on the Brenz since 2015 and experienced the transition from the 3rd division to the Bundesliga with Heidenheim. Müller has also kept a clean sheet three times this season, including last week against Bochum
Heidenheim facts & analysis
- In 13th place in the Bundesliga table
- Played 0:0 against Bochum in their last match
- First away point in the Bundesliga
Predicted line-up – last update on November 30, 2023
The team played with a back three against Man City, but we expect coach Marco Rose’s team to return to a 4-2-2-2 on Saturday. Timo Werner, Dani Olmo and Willi Orbán will still be out for Leipzig.
Heidenheim have a well-coordinated team and will not rotate much against Leipzig. However, Eren Dinkci will be missing on the right offensive side, as the 21-year-old picked up his fifth yellow card against Bochum
Leipzig – Heidenheim head-to-head & stats
The two teams have met six times so far, but never in the Bundesliga. Both teams were promoted from the 3rd division together in 2014 and then spent two years together in the German lower house. Leipzig won two of the six games, while Heidenheim were only victorious once
- Heidenheim have never won in Leipzig
- Twelve points separate the two teams in the league
- Heidenheim’s last win against Leipzig was on 22.03.2015
