Borussia Dortmund vs Heidenheim Preview: Team News & Prediction
by Alex Sarwar ·
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Borussia Dortmund are out to make it four wins in a row by beating struggling Heidenheim.
Kick-off date/time:
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How to watch online: UK – Amazon Prime Video / US – ESPN+
Borussia Dortmund preview: Making further ground
Borussia Dortmund are finding the net with regularity in the Bundesliga and this encounter gives them the opportunity to score at least three goals for the fourth consecutive league fixture. Niko Kovac’s men come into this one knowing that they can close the gap on table toppers Bayern Munich to six points with a win.
However, whilst their league form has recently been very good, Dortmund have not had as much success in Europe. They hosted Italian giants Inter Milan in midweek and failed to really threaten in front of goal. A Federico Dimarco free-kick then saw them fall behind late on, before Inter sealed the win in second-half injury time.
Heidenheim preview: Chance to move off bottom
St. Pauli losing 2-1 away to Augsburg has given Heidenheim the chance here to overtake them with an unlikely victory at Signal Iduna Park. But that would involve Frank Schmidt ending a run of six league games without a win, with just two points picked up across those matches. Most recently, they were eventually broken down by RB Leipzig.
After having put up a good account of themselves, defending well and frustrating the visiting Leipzig, Ole Werner’s side stepped up a gear in the second half and once they finally broke through, Heidenheim collapsed. Two more goals followed as Heidenheim fell to a 0-3 loss, their 12th league defeat of the season.
Borussia Dortmund team news: Three doubts
Both midfielder Marcel Sabitzer and defender Niklas Sule are doubtful ahead of this match due to injury, whilst illness could also rule out Waldemar Anton.
Predicted XI: (3-4-3): Kobel; Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Svensson; Beier, Guirassy, Adeyemi
Unavailable:
Questionable: Anton (Illness), Sabitzer (Injured), Sule (Injured)
Heidenheim team news: Lengthy list of absentees
Heidenheim’s cause is not helped by a significantly high injury list, whilst they also have to deal with the suspension of Benedikt Gimber.
Predicted XI: (4-2-3-1): Ramaj; Busch, Mainka, Siersleben, Fohrenbach; Schoppner, Dorsch; Ibrahimovic, Beck, Honsak; Pieringer
Unavailable: C. Conteh (Injured), Gimber (Suspended), Kolle (Injured), Paqarada (Injured), Stergiou (Injured), Zivzivadze (Injured)
Questionable: Kaufmann (Illness)
Borussia Dortmund vs Heidenheim prediction
Rooted to the foot of the table, Heidenheim have their work cut out to get anything out of this game. Whilst Borussia Dortmund have struggled in Europe, it’s been a different story domestically since the winter break as they continue to churn out victories. With Bayern Munich dropping more points on Saturday, motivation couldn’t be higher for the hosts.
Expect a fast start from Dortmund and with the players at their disposal, it’s hard to see Heidenheim holding out for long. Statistically, only Eintracht Frankfurt are a worse team defensively and Dortmund have no excuse not to extend their misery. Back the hosts to gain three points and to do so comprehensively.
Borussia Dortmund vs Heidenheim tip: Borussia Dortmund to win with -1 handicap
