Bayer Leverkusen will aim to continue the unbeaten start to the 2023/24 Bundesliga season when they face Heidenheim on Saturday.
The 2023/24 Bundesliga season resumes this weekend with Matchday 22. The latest round of fixtures gets underway on Friday night before the action kicks off with five simultaneous games, one of which will have Heidenheim hosting Bayer Leverkusen at the Voith-Arena.
Heidenheim would have hoped to avoid relegation and remain competitive in the lower mid-table of the Bundesliga after securing promotion to the top flight by winning the 2. Bundesliga last term. But they have been one of the surprise packages of the 2023/24 campaign, rising to ninth in the standings, although a top-six finish might be a tall order.
Speaking of surprise packages, no one could have foreseen Bayer Leverkusen competing for the Bundesliga title this season, let alone going unbeaten after the first 21 rounds of fixtures. But Xabi Alonso’s men have swept nearly every team away, including Bayern Munich last weekend, beating the reigning champions 3-0 at BayArena.
The reverse fixture saw Bayer Leverkusen clinch a 4-1 win over Heidenheim, with Eren Dinkci scoring the consolation goal for the minnows. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Heidenheim
Frank Schmidt has a few pressing concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, the Heidenheim manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
Thomas Keller (knee) and Elidon Qenaj are recovering from their respective knee injuries. In addition, Denis Thomalla misses out due to illness. Meanwhile, Schmidt is sweating over the fitness of Marnon Busch, who has a toe issue.
Kevin Muller will take his spot between the sticks, with Heidenheim lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Bayer Leverkusen. Omar Traore and Jonas Fohrenbach should be the two full-backs, with Patrick Mainka and Benedikt Gimber pairing up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Lennard Maloney and Jan Schoppner will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Marvin Pieringer will take up the advanced role, playing behind central striker Tim Kleindienst. The in-form Jan-Niklas Beste and Eren Dinkci will complete the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Muller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Fohrenbach; Maloney, Schoppner; Dinkci, Pieringer, Beste; Kleindienst
Bayer Leverkusen
Like his counterpart in the Heidenheim dugout, Xabi Alonso has a few issues to deal with ahead of the trip to the Voith-Arena. The Bayer Leverkusen manager will be without three first-team players on Saturday.
Victor Boniface is the most notable absentee, with the Nigerian international recovering from a groin injury. Meanwhile, Arthur and Exequiel Palacios are dealing with thigh issues and might not feature on Saturday.
Bayer Leverkusen will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against Heidenheim, with Lukas Hradecky taking his usual spot between the sticks. Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie should form the central defensive unit. Their presence will liberate the two wing-backs, with Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo expressing themselves freely in the final third.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Granit Xhaka and Robert Andrich. The duo will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park, providing more freedom to the wing-backs. Finally, Jonas Hofmann and Florian Wirtz will take up advanced roles through the central areas, with Borja Iglesias deputising for Victor Boniface as the centre-forward.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Wirtz; Iglesias
Key Stats
- Saturday’s encounter will be only the third-ever meeting between Heidenheim and Bayer Leverkusen. While Die Werkself won the reverse fixture this season, they have lost their only away game against Heidenheim, going down in the DFB Pokal Round of 16 in the 2018/19 campaign.
- Bayer Leverkusen are on a 31-game unbeaten run across all competitions (W27 D4). They are now one away from equalling the record for the longest undefeated streak by a German club, set by Hansi Flick’s treble-winning Bayern Munich.
- Bayer Leverkusen have set new club records after 21 matchdays for most goals scored (55) and fewest conceded (14). Their total of 55 points is the third-best by any team at this stage in Bundesliga history.
- Heidenheim are unbeaten in their last eight league games (W4 D4). That is currently the longest undefeated streak in the Bundesliga behind Bayer Leverkusen, the only team with more points over the last eight matchdays than the promoted club.
- Jan-Niklas Beste has been directly involved in 14 of Heidenheim’s 30 Bundesliga goals, with his eight assists third in the division behind Leroy Sane (11) and Alejandro Grimaldo (nine). His 11 set pieces leading to goals are the most in the league.
Player to Watch
Florian Wirtz
Victor Boniface’s absence could have hurt Bayer Leverkusen terribly. But Xabi Alonso has composed his team so brilliantly that the Bundesliga table-toppers are not dependent on one player for productivity in the final third. But while the wing-backs are flying, Florian Wirtz is running the show.
The German international has done well to bounce back from his long injury layoff and become a pivotal figure for Bayer Leverkusen. He has an exceptional record of eight goals and 15 assists in 29 appearances this term. And Wirtz needs to be on top of his game to beat a resolute Heidenheim side this weekend.
Prediction
Heidenheim 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Saturday’s match will pit the two most in-form teams in the Bundesliga against each other. The hosts have an excellent record at the Voith-Arena this term, losing just two games all season thus far. So, they will give the high-flying visitors a run for their money.
It might have been preposterous to think a few months ago that Heidenheim would pose a bigger threat to Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten run than Bayern Munich. But despite the looming risk, the away side should have the quality to eke out a narrow victory this weekend. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Alonso and his charges.