Heidenheim vs St Pauli - prediction, team news, lineups

Bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim volition welcome Bundesliga relegation rivals St Pauli to Voith-Arena connected Saturday, knowing that decision volition corroborate demotion to the 2nd tier.

FCH volition beryllium hopeless to bounce backmost from decision past clip out, portion Kiezkicker volition beryllium hoping for their archetypal triumph successful 7 games.

Match preview

Frank Schmidt's Heidenheim person struggled passim 2025-26, but they are astatine hazard of becoming the archetypal nine to beryllium relegated from the German apical formation this weekend.

With conscionable 4 matches to play, FCH are presently stranded astatine the ft of the table, 12 points from automatic information and 7 points down St Pauli, who inhabit the division's relegation playoff spot.

Schmidt's broadside had been gathering immoderate momentum going into the last stretch, putting unneurotic a commendable three-game unbeaten tally that culminated successful a 3-1 triumph implicit Union Berlin connected April 11, but a 2-1 decision against Freiburg past Sunday came arsenic a large blow.

In fairness to Heidenheim, they were the amended squad against the Europa League semi-finalists and Die Breisgau-Brasilianer brag Julian Schuster admitted that it was 'remarkable' his squad were capable to flight with points, acknowledgment to 2 deflected goals either broadside of Budu Zivzivadze's equaliser.

Regardless, that nonaccomplishment means that FCH volition request to marque up the seven-point spread to 16th spot with lone 12 points near connected offer, and that different beating connected Saturday volition condemn the nine to a play successful the 2.Bundesliga.

However, a triumph against Kiezkicker could service arsenic a springboard by reducing the shortage to a specified 4 points, wholly changing the complexion of the campaign, and fixed Heidenheim's acquisition of winning the relegation playoff successful 2024-25, they would beryllium assured of occurrence erstwhile again if they are capable to propulsion disconnected the large flight indispensable to qualify.

Meanwhile, Alexander Blessin's St Pauli announced their plans for a stadium enlargement earlier this term, but their aims could beryllium impacted if the Hamburg-based broadside are relegated backmost to the 2nd tier.

Last Friday, Kiezkicker were held to a 1-1 gully by FC Koln, and though the effect was a marked betterment implicit the 5-0 thrashing against Bayern Munich six days prior, it extended their winless streak to six games - a tally that goes backmost to a 1-0 triumph astatine high-flying Hoffenheim connected February 28.

That stalemate has near Blessin's men 16th successful the Bundesliga, wherever their tally of 26 points puts the nine 5 abbreviated of 15th-placed Werder Bremen, 14th-placed Hamburger SV, 13th-placed Borussia Monchengladbach and 12th-placed Koln, each of whom are acold from safe.

Saturday's visitors volition beryllium keen to use unit connected their demotion rivals by beating the relegation favourites, but it remains to beryllium seen whether they tin defy their travelling record, which features lone 2 league wins connected the roadworthy successful 2025-26.

That being said, St Pauli person won 7 of their 10 meetings with Heidenheim successful the 2020s - including a 2-1 triumph successful mid-December - a agelong that has seen Kiezkicker suffer conscionable erstwhile against FCH.

Heidenheim Bundesliga form:

St Pauli Bundesliga form:

Team News

Heidenheim volition beryllium lighter than perfect up beforehand without striker Mikkel Kaufmann, who is dealing with a calf injury, arsenic good arsenic close winger Eren Dinkci is simply a uncertainty aft sitting retired against Freiburg, and attacking midfielder Sirlord Conteh, who is sidelined for the remainder of the play with a genu injury.

Filling the gaps, Schmidt could opt for a pairing of Marvin Pieringer and Budu Zivzivadze up top, with Arijon Ibrahimovic and Mathias Honsak providing enactment from retired wide.

At the other extremity of the pitch, centre-back Benedikt Gimber has missed the past 2 weeks with an unconfirmed injury, portion left-back Leart Paqarada is recovering from a large genu injury, truthful expect to see Patrick Mainka and Jonas Fohrenbach astatine the bosom of the FCH defence, flanked by Marnon-Thomas Busch and Hennes Behrens.

As for St Pauli, they are missing goalkeeper Simon Spari owed to an ankle injury, and centre-half Eric Smith is simply a uncertainty with a calf issue, though Nikola Vasilj should beryllium connected manus to commencement betwixt the posts, protected by a backmost 3 of Tomoya Ando, Hauke Wahl and Karol Mets.

In midfield, James Sands is acceptable to miss the last 4 games of the play with an ankle problem, portion the attack-minded Mathias Pereira Lage is dealing with a genu injury, so Mathias Rasmussen and Jackson Irvine are apt to commencement behind Danel Sinani and Joel Chima Fujita connected Saturday.

Elsewhere, former Peterborough United striker Ricky-Jade Jones is retired until the summertime with an ankle injury, and Andreas Hountondji volition pb the enactment for Kiezkicker.

Heidenheim imaginable starting lineup:

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

St Pauli imaginable starting lineup:

Vasilj; Ando, Wahl, Mets; Saliakas, Rasmussen, Irvine, Pyrka; Sinani, Fujita; Hountondji 

We say: Heidenheim 2-1 St Pauli

Heidenheim volition beryllium hopeless to debar the driblet this weekend, truthful expect to spot a spirited show from the bottommost nine careless of the result.

St Pauli would mostly beryllium the favourites fixed their league position, but having failed to triumph adjacent erstwhile since February, they could beryllium caught retired connected Saturday.

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