Heidenheim vs Bochum Preview: Team News & Prediction
by Alex Lawes ·
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After a few seasons of rising to the top of German football, Heidenheim are in a fight to preserve their Bundesliga status ahead of the visit of a Bochum side that they can relegate this weekend.
Kick-off date/time: Friday 2nd May, 2025: UK – 7:30pm / US ET – 2:30pm / US PT – 11:30am
How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports / US – Some matches will be televised on ESPN channels so it is worth checking their schedules
How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / US – ESPN+
Heidenheim Preview: Heidenheim’s fight
Heidenheim reached the Bundesliga for the first time ever in 2023 and then went on to achieve an eighth placed finish in the top-flight, which qualified them for the UEFA Europa Conference League but things have naturally regressed in the 2024/25 campaign.
They begin the 32nd match day of the Bundesliga season sitting third-from-bottom in the relegation playoff place but have shown some fight to hold off Holstein Kiel in recent weeks. They defeated Stuttgart by a goal to nil away from home last weekend in a vital victory.
Bochum Preview: Circling the drain
Bochum, following their promotion alongside Heidenheim in the 2022/23 season, ended up avoiding an immediate return to the second-tier by defeating Hamburg in last year’s end of season Bundesliga/2. Bundesliga promotion/relegation playoff tie.
This time around, though, they are unlikely to earn themselves that reprieve as they begin this match day sitting four points below Heidenheim in the playoff place. They earned themselves a 1-1 draw with Union Berlin at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion last weekend.
Heidenheim Team News: Dorsch suspended
In that 1-0 defeat of Stuttgart last week, Niklas Dorsch picked up his fifth yellow card of the season so that means he is now suspended for the hosts. He is sidelined alongside the injured Budu Zivzivadze, who joined the club during the winter transfer window.
Predicted XI (3-5-2): Muller; Mainka, Gimber, Sierseleben; Traore, Busch, Schoppner, Scienza, Kratzig; Beck, Pieringer
Unavailable: Dorsch (Suspended), Zivzivadze (Injured)
Questionable:
Bochum Team News: Sissoko returns
Japanese winger Koji Miyoshi, formerly of Birmingham City, is absent this weekend as he has been for the last month or so due to a thigh injury. Bochum will welcome back Ibrahima Sissoko, though, having served his one-match suspension last week.
Predicted XI (3-4-3): Horn; Oermann, Oermann, Medic, Bernardo; Passlack, Sissoko, Krauss, Wittek; Masouras, Hofmann, Holtmann
Unavailable: Miyoshi (Injured)
Questionable:
Heidenheim vs Bochum Prediction
Heidenheim snatched all three points against Stuttgart last week courtesy of an 89th minute winner scored by Martin Honsak and it could well prove to be the difference in them avoiding the drop this season. Bochum simply have to win this one and will throw everything they have at it but that in itself will make them more susceptible than they already are and Heidenheim, with home advantage, could take a massive step towards avoiding automatic relegation from the Bundesliga this weekend, whilst Bochum may well now finally be officially preparing for a return to 2. Bundesliga.
Heidenheim vs Bochum Tip: Heidenheim to win
