Borussia Dortmund will be aiming to make it four wins on the spin when they travel to the Voith-Arena to take on mid-table Heidenheim in the Bundesliga on Friday night.
With pacesetters Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich showing no signs of slowing down at the top of the Bundesliga, third place may be the best that Borussia Dortmund, who face FC Heidenheim on Friday, can hope for in the league this season.
Dortmund had a shaky November and December, dropping points in seven of their final eight league games of 2023 and losing ground on the top two. Indeed, the winter break appeared to arrive at the best possible moment for Dortmund.
Edin Terzic’s side have kick-started the new year in a rich vein of form, winning all three league matches in 2024 and scoring a whopping ten goals combined against SV Darmstadt 98, FC Koln, and VfL Bochum while conceding only once across that run.
Those scalps may have only come against opponents in the bottom five. But Borussia Dortmund should still be confident heading to newly-promoted Heidenheim, who are seriously punching above their weight as they sit tenth in the Bundesliga table on the back of a six-game unbeaten run (W3).
The hosts were held to a 1-1 draw by Hoffenheim in their previous Bundesliga fixture. They took the lead through Eren Dinkci but conceded an Andrej Kramaric penalty just before half-time. In fact, they have become the draw experts in the German top flight lately, having battled to 1-1 stalemates in their last three matches.
Team News & Tactics
FC Heidenheim
Defender Benedikt Gimber was hooked off at the break of their stalemate at Hoffenheim last week after sustaining a knock to the head. But he may well be in contention unless there is any concussion case.
Heidenheim will travel without Thomas Keller and Elidon Qenaj due to knee injuries. Christian Kuhlwetter should be available after recovering from illness and could return to fold here. Head coach Frank Schmidt may also have the option to call upon Denis Thomalla, who missed the first three games of the season due to sickness, as a viable option in attack.
Schmidt may see no reason to make any changes from the team that drew 1-1 against Hoffenheim last time out, meaning that Tim Kleindienst should lead the visitors’ offensive line once again. 22-year-old German attacker Eren Dinkci has been balling out for his side this season, with seven goals to his name from 18 games in the Bundesliga.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Muller; Traore, Mainka, Siersleben, Fohrenbach; Schoppner, Maloney, Beck; Dinkci, Kleindienst, Beste
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund will remain without full-back Sebastien Haller due to his involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast. But full-back Ramy Bensebaini is back available after Algeria suffered a shock Round of 16 exit to Mauritania in midweek.
Felix Nmecha and Karim Adeyemi remain long-term absentees for the visitors, while Julian Ryerson is facing an extended spell out with a serious knee injury. Edin Terzic confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday that Jadon Sancho is struggling with a muscle problem and is in a race against the clock to be fit for Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga clash against Heidenheim on Friday.
Julian Brandt, Marco Reus, and Gregor Kobel, who all missed last week’s 3-1 win over Bochum, are still not back in training. But captain Emre Can and centre-back Mats Hummels were able to “complete the full workload” and will be in contention for Friday night’s encounter.
The visitors will shape up in a 4-1-3-2 formation, with Gregor Kobel in goal. Thomas Meunier and in-form Ian Maatsen will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Mats Hummels will start at the heart of the defence, along with Nico Schlotterbeck.
Emre Can will be the sole defensive midfielder here, and he will look to mop up opposition attacks and win the ball back for his team. Donyell Malen, Marcel Sabitzer, and Jadon Sancho will start in the advanced midfield positions, and they will look to add creativity and flair to the side.
Finally, Niclas Fullkrug will lead the line for Borussia Dortmund alongside young Youssoufa Moukoko, with nine goals and five assists in just 17 games.
Probable Lineup (4-1-3-2): Kobel; Meunier, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Can; Malen, Sabitzer, Sancho; Moukoko, Fullkrug
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund are undefeated in 34 of their last 38 Bundesliga matches.
- FC Heidenheim have drawn their last three Bundesliga matches.
- Dortmund have lost only one of their nine away league games this season (4W, 4D).
- Heidenheim have lost only two of their nine home league games.
- The hosts’ have failed to score in just two of their last 18 league games.
Player to Watch
Jadon Sancho
Although he is doubtful about their trip to Heidenheim on Friday after picking up a muscle problem, there is still a very good chance that winter recruit Jadon Sancho could feature from the outset on Friday night.
Sancho celebrated his return to the Westfalenstadion with an assist against Bochum and showed flashes of his quality while also playing some clever passes. But his lack of sharpness was telling, even if he did get stuck in and put in a defensive shift.
It is clear that he still needs some time to find his groove, but there are still plenty of promising signs. Dortmund have won all three Bundesliga matches since Sancho’s return to the club. He has already provided two assists and will be eager to get his first goal of his second spell.
Prediction
FC Heidenheim 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund have played like a rejuvenated side since returning from the winter break, and the addition of fresh faces Ian Maatsen and Jadon Sancho looks to have provided BVB with some much-needed lift to their injury-bare squad.
It would be difficult to bet against a destructive BVB side in their current rampant mood. However, considering Heidenheim’s superb home form, which has seen them lose only twice in nine games since last season’s promotion, a clean sheet may be out of reach. The gulf in quality between the two sides should see the visitors come away with a narrow win.
