With their hopes of staying in the Bundesliga resting on finishing in the relegation playoff spot, Heidenheim will travel to face Union Berlin at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei on Saturday.
Die Eisernen will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches this weekend, while the demotion-threatened visitors will be aiming for a second win in three games.
Match preview
© Imago
Steffen Baumgart's Union are safe from the drop with two fixtures remaining thanks to their impressive streak of three wins, five draws and zero losses since mid-March, but they will be keen to see out the campaign without tasting defeat.
Last Saturday, Die Eisernen came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with European hopefuls Werder Bremen, and while the result took them to four games without victory, the boss will be delighted with the spirit his team showed to fight for the point.
That hard-fought stalemate has Baumgart's side 13th in the table with 37 points, a comfortable 11 above their opponents, but considering that they are the most in-form team outside of the top eight, they will set their ambitions higher than mere survival in 2025-26.
Unbeaten at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei since a 1-0 loss against Holstein Kiel on March 2, this weekend's hosts will be confident of adding to their tally, though given that they have taken maximum points in just one of their last four at home, they could find themselves limited against their motivated visitors.
A first win in five games would be enough for Union to leapfrog Wolfsburg and climb up to 12th place, though a rare defeat could give St Pauli the chance to move to within three points of Die Eisernen ahead of the final matchday.
© Imago
Meanwhile, Frank Schmidt's Heidenheim have bounced back from a string of three consecutive defeats by taking four points from their last two matches, and considering that their relegation rivals have picked up form as the season draws to a close, they will be desperate to avoid defeat this weekend at the very least.
Most recently, the demotion candidates played out a tense 0-0 draw with bottom club VfL Bochum, and while the manager will be thankful to have avoided defeat, he will feel that his team have missed a golden opportunity to solidify their position.
The point that Schmidt's side earned last week kept them in 16th place, one point ahead of Holstein Kiel, who have put them under extreme pressure by beating Augsburg 3-1 on Sunday.
That being said, Saturday's visitors have been significantly better on the road than at home, and with three wins, two draws and just one defeat in their last six away games, they will feel capable of maintaining their slim advantage over their rivals this weekend.
Three points would be enough to confirm their place in the relegation playoff, but anything less could see them fall into the drop zone ahead of their final-day clash against Bremen.
Team News
© Imago
Union could welcome versatile full-back Josip Juranovic back into the squad this weekend after he worked his way back from an injury he picked up against Bayer Leverkusen last month, though Christopher Trimmel and Tom Rothe are likely to start out wide.
Likewise, wide man Robert Skov could make the bench for the first time since February as he builds fitness, while left-back Jerome Roussillon is a doubt.
Elsewhere, centre-back Diogo Leite will be out of action until late next month at the earliest due to a fractured larynx that he suffered against Bochum.
As for Heidenheim, midfielder Niklas Dorsch will be available after serving a suspension last time out, and he could replace Leo Scienza, who is a doubt for Saturday's game.
First-choice goalkeeper Kevin Muller is also a doubt for this weekend, so expect to see Frank Feller between the sticks, with a back three of Patrick Mainka, Benedikt Gimber and Tim Siersleben ahead of him.
Up top, right-sided forward Sirlord Conteh has been dealing with a knee issue, though Adrian Beck and Marvin Pieringer should start in a partnership regardless.
Union Berlin possible starting lineup:
Ronnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Vogt; Trimmel, Schafer, Khedira, Haberer, Rothe; Hollerbach, Ilic
Heidenheim possible starting lineup:
Feller; Mainka, Gimber, Siersleben; Traore, Busch, Schoppner, Kratzig, Dorsch; Beck, Pieringer
We say: Union Berlin 1-1 Heidenheim
Union have proven their resilience in recent months, so expect them to avoid defeat at the very least against one of the league's relegation candidates.
That being said, Heidenheim have been strong on the road, and they will be sure to make this game a close-fought contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
