FC Koln vs Heidenheim - prediction, team news, lineups

Hanging connected by a thread successful the Bundesliga, resurgent relegation favourites Heidenheim volition question to instrumentality connected promoted broadside FC Koln astatine RheinEnergieStadion connected Sunday.

The Billy Goats are looking for their archetypal triumph successful 4 games this weekend, portion FCH could marque it 3 wins from five.

Match preview

Koln earned promotion to the apical formation aft lifting the Meisterschale successful the 2.Bundesliga last term, and they are present connected the cusp of securing their first-division presumption for different campaign.

The Billy Goats took a constituent connected the roadworthy successful a 2-2 gully against Union Berlin astir recently, though they volition beryllium disappointed to person surrendered the two-goal pb that Marius Bulter and Said El Mala had established.

Regardless of the frustration, Rene Wagner's men person present mislaid conscionable 1 of their past 7 games wide - a 2-1 decision against Bayer Leverkusen connected April 25 - a commendable feat that has the nine 14th successful the league, six points supra sixth-placed Wolfsburg.

With conscionable 2 fixtures remaining connected the Bundesliga calendar for 2025-26, adjacent a azygous constituent this play would beryllium capable to warrant safety.

However, fixed that occurrence is wrong scope connected Sunday, tensions volition beryllium heightened astatine RheinEnergieStadion, and portion the bulk should beryllium confident, immoderate fans whitethorn beryllium acrophobic astir their team's chances up against a hopeless opponent.

Those fears are built connected the information that Koln's caller resilience has brought the broadside conscionable 1 triumph from their past 12 matches, a lacklustre agelong that goes backmost to a 1-0 triumph implicit Wolfsburg connected January 30.

Meanwhile, Frank Schmidt's Heidenheim survived by winning the relegation playoff successful 2024-25, and they volition request to bash the aforesaid this clip astir if they are to debar dropping into the 2nd tier.

It seemed conscionable a fewer abbreviated weeks agone that FCH were acceptable to instrumentality to the 2.Bundesliga earlier the extremity of the season, but a astonishment revival successful the aftermath of a 1-0 decision against Eintracht Frankfurt connected March 14 has fixed them a chance.

Since that beating, Schmidt has led his broadside to a tally of 2 wins, 3 draws and conscionable 1 loss, not to notation that helium came adjacent to taking each 3 points successful a 3-3 stalemate with Bayern Munich past Saturday.

While Heidenheim stay astatine the bottommost of the table, their awesome warring tone has seen them determination to wrong 3 points of 17th-placed St Pauli and 16th-placed Wolfsburg with 2 games to near to play.

Supporters making the travel this play volition beryllium optimistic, but volition caput to the crushed knowing that thing different than triumph could spot their squad condemned.

With that successful mind, FCH volition request to defy their shocking grounds connected the roadworthy that has seen them triumph conscionable erstwhile distant from location this word - a 2-1 triumph implicit Union Berlin connected November 29.

FC Koln Bundesliga form:

Heidenheim Bundesliga form:

Team News

Koln are lighter successful defence than perfect this play without centre-backs Timo Hubers and Luca Kilian - some of whom are dealing with genu injuries - though the second is closing successful connected a instrumentality to action.

To marque matters worse, chap centre-half Rav van den Berg is simply a uncertainty owed to a musculus issue, portion antiaircraft midfielder Eric Martel is suspended aft picking up his 10th yellowish paper of the play against Union Berlin.

In their absence, Wagner could opt for Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Cenk Ozcakar astatine the bosom of his defence, with Sebastian Sebulonsen and Kristoffer Lund Hansen operating arsenic full-backs.

At the other extremity of the pitch, striker Ragnar Ache is sidelined for the remainder of the run aft suffering a hamstring wounded against St Pauli connected April 17, though 19-year-old Said El Mala should beryllium connected manus to pb the enactment erstwhile again.

As for Heidenheim, they volition beryllium without near winger Mathias Honsak connected Sunday arsenic helium works his mode backmost from an ankle issue, portion attacking midfielder Sirlord Conteh has been ruled retired of the last games of the play with a genu injury.

Another attacking midfielder - Christian Conteh - is distant from the squad for idiosyncratic reasons this weekend, truthful expect to see Arijon Ibrahimovic and Eren Dinkci supporting Budu Zivzivadze and Marvin Pieringer up top.

Elsewhere, left-back Leart Paqarada is nearing a long-awaited instrumentality from his cruciate ligament injury, but this crippled comes excessively soon for the 31-year-old, and loanee Hennes Behrens looks acceptable to commencement connected the near of Schmidt's defence.

FC Koln imaginable starting lineup:

Schwabe; Sebulonsen, Simpson-Pusey, Ozakacar, Lund; Krauss, Johannesson; Waldschmidt, Kaminski, Bulter; El Mala

Heidenheim imaginable starting lineup:

Ramaj; Busch, Mainka, Fohrenbach, Behrens; Dinkci, Schoppner, Dorsch, Ibrahimovic; Pieringer, Zivzivadze

We say: FC Koln 1-2 Heidenheim

Koln person been resilient successful caller weeks, but they person recovered wins hard to travel by, and it remains to beryllium seen whether they tin muster the level of show required to withstand a motivated Heidenheim.

FCH person enjoyed an awesome resurgence arsenic the run has reached its climax, and they could bolster their combat for endurance with different 3 points connected Sunday.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.