Heidenheim could leave the Bundesliga relegation playoff spot this weekend when they travel to 12th-placed Augsburg in Saturday's gameweek 19 fixture at the WWK Arena.
However, the off-form away team must find a way past a side on a two-match winning sequence after victories over Union Berlin and Werder Bremen.
Match preview
© Imago
Augsburg may have revenge on their minds heading into Saturday's encounter with Heidenheim, against whom they were beaten 4-0 in the reverse fixture in August.
That gameweek two defeat was part of a winless start in the opening couple of rounds to begin the season and one success in the first five fixtures (three losses).
While results have stayed mixed for Jess Thorup's men, Fuggerstadter enter this weekend after back-to-back triumphs in the top flight — the first time the Bavarians have clinched consecutive league wins this term.
However, it will not be lost on home fans that victories at Union and Bremen were on the road, and the 12th-placed side seek their first success as hosts since November 30, when they got the better of Bochum 1-0.
That success was the club's third in four games (one draw), but consecutive losses against Bayer Leverkusen (2-0) and Stuttgart (1-0) have dampened the mood in Bavaria, even though both losses were against clubs currently in the top four.
It will be fascinating to see if Augsburg show the best version of themselves facing their relegation-threatened visitors to notch three victories on the trot for the first time since March 2024 — when they claimed four successive wins.
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That outcome should be anticipated against an opponent in dispiriting form in their second top-flight season, highlighted by their third-bottom standing.
Although Frank Schmidt's men secured a 4-0 success in the reverse fixture last August, the BaWu outfit have clinched only two wins since: beating Mainz 05 2-0 in September and Union at the start of 2025.
While that triumph was followed by a six-goal thriller at Werder Bremen, where the strugglers responded to falling behind three times before levelling 3-3, last weekend's 2-0 home defeat against fellow strugglers St Pauli saw them come back down to earth.
Schmidt's men hope to move on from that gameweek 18 defeat, hoping that the reverse was only a bump in the road after a two-match post-winter break recovery; however, their inability to win on the road since beating Mainz in September may not fill supporters with much confidence.
With five losses suffered in the recent six on their travels — though they claimed a hard-fought point in the thrilling 3-3 draw at Bremen — the club with the joint-second most away losses face an uphill task this weekend.
Team News
%20celebrates%20scoring%20for%20Augsburg%20on%20January%2015,%202025.jpeg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Alexis Claude-Maurice (No. 20) celebrates scoring for Augsburg on January 15, 2025")
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Although Frank Onyeka returns from suspension, the home side have several players missing, with Cedric Zesiger on the naughty step for one game after accumulating yellow cards, while Henri Koudossou (hamstring), Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (hand), Mads Valentin Pedersen (groin), Masaya Okugawa (thigh), Reece Oxford (illness) and Yusuf Kabadayi (knee) are absent.
However, Keven Schlotterbeck (hip) will be assessed after missing three consecutive Bundesliga games for the hosts, a welcome return for an Augsburg side without centre-back Zesiger and wing-back Koudossou.
Alexis Claude-Maurice has netted three match-winning goals for Thorup's men — only Harry Kane (six), Jonathan Burkardt (five) and Ritsu Doan (four) have more among current Bundesliga players — and the six-goal man aims to add to his tally.
Heidenheim are expected to be without Niklas Dorsch (knee), Jonas Fohrenbach (hamstring), Mathias Honsak (muscle) and Julian Niehues (knee).
Marvin Pieringer has been involved in six goals for the strugglers this term (four goals, two assists), though he has yet to score or assist in 2025.
Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Dahmen; Matsima, Bauer, Schlotterbeck; Wolf, Onyeka, Jakic, Rexhbecaj, Giannoulis; Claude-Maurice, Essende
Heidenheim possible starting lineup:
Muller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Busch; Kerber, Schoppner; Wanner, Pieringer, Kratzig; Zivzivadze
We say: Augsburg 2-0 Heidenheim
It is hard to look beyond a routine Augsburg success this weekend, with their opponents failing to claim maximum points on their travels since September, picking up one point from a possible 18.
The hosts had clinched three wins in four before coming unstuck against the defending champions Leverkusen and fourth-placed Stuttgart; they should return to winning ways on Saturday with a comfortable triumph.
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