Team news and predicted lineups

Here is our preview of Thursday’s Bundesliga promotion/relegation play-off first-leg clash between Heidenheim and Elversberg, including our predicted lineups.

A dramatic final weekend in Germany’s top two divisions has set the stage for a high-stakes promotion/relegation play-off tie between Bundesliga outfit 1. FC Heidenheim and 2. Bundesliga challengers SV Elversberg.

As per tradition, the 16th-placed team in the Bundesliga face the third-placed side from the second tier to determine who will compete in the top flight next season.

The first leg will take place on Thursday at Heidenheim’s Voith-Arena, with the decisive return leg set for Monday at Elversberg’s Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde.

After a remarkable eighth-place finish in their debut Bundesliga season in 2023/24, Heidenheim ended the current campaign in the relegation play-off spot following a clear 1-4 loss to Werder Bremen on the final matchday.

Yet Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt is staying positive, highlighting that his team still have their fate in their own hands.”

“We’re not disappointed by the fact that we’re playing in [this] play-off,” the 51-year-old said, according to Bundesliga.com.

“We’re Heidenheim and this was our second year in the Bundesliga. We have a chance to stay in the league with two extra games and we’re approaching them with determination and a positive attitude,” the coach added. 

Elversberg, meanwhile, capped a sensational season with a 2-1 away win at Schalke to secure third place in the 2. Bundesliga on the final day.

For a club that had never played above the third tier prior to 2023, promotion to the Bundesliga would be a historic achievement – much like Heidenheim’s own breakthrough last year.

Beyond the sporting significance, the financial implications are massive.

Heidenheim CEO Holger Sanwald has stated that relegation would see the club’s annual budget cut in half, from €80 million to around €40 million – largely due to decreased media revenue.

For Elversberg, on the other hand, promotion would be a game-changer. As reported by Kicker, the club have received around €8 million in TV money this season – a figure that would rise to roughly €30 million in the top division. That alone would nearly double their total revenue from 2023, which stood at €16.3 million.

In terms of team news, Heidenheim are expected to welcome back Frans Krätzig following illness, leaving Christopher Negele and Luka Janes as their only absentees. 

For the visitors, Arne Sicker is likely to miss out, with Elversberg expected to stick with the same starting XI that secured victory over Schalke.

Click here to see our predicted Heidenheim vs. Elversberg lineups.