Preview: Heidenheim vs RB Leipzig - prediction, team news, lineups

Voith-Arena will be the backdrop for a crucial Bundesliga clash that will impact both the race for the Champions League and the relegation battle on Saturday, when Heidenheim host RB Leipzig.

FCH are looking for a first win in six games, while Die Roten Bullen are hoping to bounce back from their humiliating defeat last time out.

Match preview

Frank Schmidt's Heidenheim survived in the top flight by winning their relegation playoff in 2024-25, and they look set for another close call this time around.

FCH come into this clash 16th in the Bundesliga with 13 points, a tally that puts them just one above the bottom two and three short of 15th-placed Augsburg.

With that in mind, this weekend could prove crucial in deciding Schmidt's side's fate, but considering that they have lost three and drawn two of their last five outings - a run that includes 2-1 defeats against demotion rivals Mainz 05 and St Pauli - fans will be fearing the worst.

However, the more optimistic amongst the Heidenheim faithful will take heart from seeing their club pick up a point in a 1-1 stalemate with Wolfsburg last Saturday, a game that they took the lead in courtesy of a first-half goal from Adrian Beck.

Additionally, while the hosts will be the underdogs this weekend, they have been better at Voith-Arena than on the road this term, collecting nine of their 13 points at home, as well as drawing two, winning one and losing just two of their five most recent games on their own turf.

Meanwhile, RB Leipzig missed out on qualifying for Europe last season after a surprisingly poor campaign, but they are picturing a return to the Champions League spots this weekend.

That being said, Ole Werner's men have lost three of their four clashes preceding Saturday's showdown, including back-to-back 3-1 defeats against Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen in December, and a 5-1 battering by Bayern Munich most recently.

Those disappointments have caused Die Roten Bullen to slip down to fifth in the division, and their current 32-point total puts them within striking distance of sixth-placed Leverkusen.

On the other hand, Leipzig are just one point behind fourth-placed Stuttgart and third-placed Hoffenheim, meaning that a return to winning ways could see the club climb back into the top four.

To that end, Werner's side will draw confidence from the fact that they have never been beaten by Heidenheim in the Bundesliga, though visiting fans will still be wary of the team's travelling record, which features two defeats from their last three away from home.

Heidenheim Bundesliga form:

RB Leipzig Bundesliga form:

RB Leipzig form (all competitions):

Team News

Heidenheim will be without centre-back Adam Kolle this weekend due to illness, as well as left-back Leart Paqarada, who is likely to miss the remainder of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

In their absence, Schmidt could opt for Benedikt Gimber and Patrick Mainka at centre-half, with the duo flanked by Marnon Busch and Leonidas Stergiou at full-back if Jonas Fohrenbach is not ready to start after being forced off with an issue against Wolfsburg.

At the opposite end of the pitch, striker Budu Zivzivadze and fellow forward Christian Conteh are out with knee injuries, so expect to see Marvin Pieringer up top, supported by Mathias Honsak, Arijon Ibrahimovic and Adrian Beck.

As for Leipzig, they are missing centre-backs Castello Lukeba and Lukas Klostermann, though the latter should be available in a few days when he recovers from illness. In the meantime, Willi Orban could be partnered by El Chadaille Bitshiabu at the heart of defence.

In the centre of the park, young midfielders Forzan Assan Ouedraogo and Viggo Gebel are both sidelined with long-term knee injuries, though Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schlager and Christoph Baumgartner should be on hand to start on Saturday.

Further forward, right-winger Johan Bakayoko is closing in on a return from a calf problem, but this clash comes too soon for the Belgian star, so anticipate seeing a front three of Yan Diomande, Romulo Cardoso and Antonio Nusa this weekend.

Heidenheim possible starting lineup:

Ramaj; Busch, Mainka, Gimber, Stergiou; Schoppner, Dorsch; Ibrahimovic, Beck, Honsak; Pieringer

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:

Gulacsi; Baku, Orban, Bitshiabu, Raum; Schlager, Seiwald, Baumgartner; Diomande, Romulo, Nusa

We say: Heidenheim 1-2 RB Leipzig

Heidenheim have suffered demoralising defeats against their relegation rivals recently, and they will head into this game as the undoubted underdogs.

However, Leipzig have lost three of their last four games, and though they should still come out on top, the match could be closer than the visitors would like.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.