Banged-up league leaders in need of a strong statement

With their domestic cup hopes dashed early for the fifth consecutive year, Germany’s record champions hope to solidify their place at the top of the Bundesliga table with a league win over struggling 1. FC Heidenheim. 

Bayern

The German record champs seek to shake off their cup defeat against Leverkusen on Tuesday and re-assert their dominance at the top of the league table. Bayern also have a score to settle against Heidenheim following a shock defeat away at the Voith Arena last April. Frank Schmidt’s Albogen club have actually found a way to persistently pester Bayern in all three of their meetings.

Heidenheim scored two goals against Bayern in their first league encounter last November and notched four tallies against the German giants in a 2019 quarterfinal Pokal fixture. The Pokal set-back proved a stain on a spectacular league campaign for Vincent Kompany’s revamped FCB. Retired Bayern CEO Ali Hoeneß has already predicted that Bayern will clinch the title by Easter.

Team news:

The unfortunate news that both Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry will not be able to partake leaves Kompany in need of a lead striker. Thomas Müller or Mathys Tel could fill this need. Kompany could – as he did on Tuesday – run a double striker set featuring Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise. It has already been confirmed that 24-year-old Israeli international Daniel Peretz will receive his first league start in place of the injured Manuel Neuer. 

Bayern will surely be buoyed by the return of German midfield phenomenon Aleksandar Pavlovic, who is projected to start by most major German footballing publications. Right back Sacha Boey, like Pavlovic, logged some minutes off the bench on Tuesday night and could be in line for a start over makeshift fullback Konrad Laimer.

Heidenheim

Few are according Frank Schmidt’s Ostalbenstäbler much of a chance despite the result of last spring’s league encounter. All three FCH players who scored in Heidenheim’s surprise win – Tim Kliendienst, Jan-Niklas Beste, and Kevin Sessa – have since departed the club. Schmidt nevertheless does possess an “X-Factor” in the form of Bayern loanee Paul Wanner. Heidenheim, knocked out of the Pokal, also have the benefit of some extra rest. 

Schmidt’s team have lost four straight on-the-spin. Recent league fixtures against top-four sides Leverkusen and Frankfurt yielded rather devastating 2-5 and 0-4 defeats, respectively. Heidenheim did manage to hold their own against English giants Chelsea FC in a recent Conference League fixture, however. The FCH trainer made sure to point this out at his pre-match presser. 

Team news:

FCH leading goalscorer Marvin Pieringer remains out. Danish striker Mikkel Kaufmann is once again projected to start over Maximilian Breunig. Wanner and Leonardo Scienzia will probably back Wanner up. Omar Haktab Traoré and Tim Siersleben seem likely replacements for previously ineffective actors Marnon Busch and Jonas Föhrenbach.