Mainz vs Heidenheim Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 German Bundesliga
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
On the back of their first Bundesliga win of the season, Mainz now aim to back that up by overcoming a Heidenheim side who have lost their last two.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday September 28th 2024 – UK – 2:30pm / US ET – 9:30am / US PT – 6:30am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – Some matches will be televised on ESPN channels so it is worth checking their schedules
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – ESPN+
MAINZ PREVIEW: BO’S BOYS ON RIGHT END OF BAD-TEMPERED THRILLER
In a match that saw both sides reduced to ten-men, it was Mainz who emerged victorious away to Augsburg, picking up a massive three points. After going 0-2 up inside 20 minutes and then 1-3 ahead early in the second half despite losing a man before the break, Mainz managed to hang on despite their opponents pulling one back before suffering a red card of their own.
Despite the result, Mainz are still yet to win at home in the Bundesliga this season and a positive result over Heidenheim would go some way toward easing the concerns of fans, who understandably won’t have been thrilled with their prior start to the campaign.
HEIDENHEIM PREVIEW: BACK-TO-BACK DEFEATS STUNTING HEIDENHEIM PROGRESS
A comprehensive 0-3 loss at home to Freiburg means that it’s now seven goals conceded by Heidenheim across their last two games of football. Safe to say, the honeymoon start to the campaign is now over for Frank Schmidt and his men after beginning the 2024-25 season with five wins in all competitions.
Although goals have always appeared easy to find where Heidenheim are concerned, their defence as a whole has looked fragile across the last two games and Schmidt will need to find a way to rectify that very quickly if he wants to prevent an extended slump in results.
MAINZ TEAM NEWS: AMIRI SUSPENDED, VERATSCHNIG DOUBTFUL
Nadiem Amiri’s sending off at Augsburg rules him out of this one through suspension. Silvan Widmer and Anthony Caci are both fighting to start at right-wing-back and Nikolas Veratschnig is struggling with a muscle injury.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-3): Zentner; Leitsch, Jenz, Hanche-Olsen; Widmer, Sano, Kohr, Mwene; Hong, Burkardt, Lee
UNAVAILABLE: Amiri (Suspended)
QUESTIONABLE: Veratschnig (Injured)
HEIDENHEIM TEAM NEWS: HONSAK AND SCIENZA COULD JOIN NIEHUES ON SIDELINES
Winger Sirlord Conteh is in contention to start for the visitors, who won’t be able to call upon midfielder Julian Niehues and could also be without both Mathias Honsak and Leo Scienza.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Muller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Fohrenbach; Maloney, Schoppner; Beck, Wanner, Conteh; Pieringer
UNAVAILABLE: Niehues (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Honsak (Injured), Scienza (Injured)
MAINZ VS HEIDENHEIM PREDICTION
Expect Mainz to really try and capitalise on facing a backline low on confidence after conceding so many goals across the last couple of weeks. An ultra-attacking style of play is likely from a team desperate to win. But this may in-turn lead to Heidenheim being afforded a lot of space inside the opposition half as Mainz try and push bodies forward at every opportunity. With that in mind, the smart play would be to back both teams scoring over the course of 90 minutes.
MAINZ VS HEIDENHEIM TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE