Bayern Munich will aim to continue the unbeaten start to the 2024/25 Bundesliga season when they welcome FC Heidenheim to the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
The 2024/25 Bundesliga season resumes this week with Matchday 13, which will kick off with the game between VfB Stuttgart and Union Berlin on Friday. The action on Saturday will begin with five simultaneous fixtures, including Bayern Munich vs FC Heidenheim at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich could not have hoped for a better start to life under Vincent Kompany in the Bundesliga. The Bavarian giants have dropped points only thrice in 12 outings while enjoying an unbeaten start to their league campaign. While other competitions have brought some unconvincing results, including the 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB Pokal this week, Kompany will be satisfied with the output in the Bundesliga.
As for FC Heidenheim, the away side came into the 2024/25 season on the back of an impressive 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign, which ended in an eighth-placed finish. However, Frank Schmidt’s men have blown hot and cold in the top flight thus far this term, managing only ten points in 12 appearances, with the tally leaving them 16th in the standings.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Bayern Munich clinch a 4-2 win over FC Heidenheim, with Harry Kane scoring twice. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
Vincent Kompany does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Bayern Munich manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players vs FC Heidenheim on Saturday.
Harry Kane is the most notable absentee, with the star striker recovering from a hamstring injury. The English international accompanies Sven Ulreich (personal reasons), Hiroki Ito (foot), Josip Stanisic (knee), and Joao Palhinha (groin) on the sidelines.
Manuel Neuer will take his spot between the sticks, with Bayern Munich lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs FC Heidenheim on Saturday. The backline should feature Raphael Guerreiro, Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jae, and Alphonso Davies.
As for the midfield unit, Leon Goretzka should pair up with Joshua Kimmich in the double pivot, although Aleksandar Pavlovic will be in contention to start. Jamal Musiala and Thomas Muller will reprise advanced roles through the central areas, with Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineu (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Coman; Muller
FC Heidenheim
Like his counterpart in the Bayern Munich dugout, Frank Schmidt does not have any new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the Allianz Arena. The FC Heidenheim manager will be without two first-team players on Saturday.
Julian Niehues (knee) and Marvin Pieringer (Achilles) are the only absentees, with the duo recovering from their issues. Otherwise, Schmidt has a full-strength squad to take on Bayern Munich this weekend.
Kevin Muller will take his spot between the sticks, with FC Heidenheim lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Bayern Munich on Saturday. The backline will feature Omar Traore, Jonas Fohrenbach, Benedikt Gimber, and captain Patrick Mainka.
As for the midfield unit, Lennard Maloney will sit at the base, looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Niklas Dorsch and Jan Schoppner will accompany Maloney in the middle of the park. Finally, Mikkel Kaufmann will spearhead the FC Heidenheim attack against Bayern Munich, with Paul Wanner and Leo Scienza being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineip (4-3-3): Muller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Fohrenbach; Dorsch, Maloney, Schoppner; Wanner, Kaufmann, Scienza
Key Stats
- FC Heidenheim won their most recent Bundesliga game vs Bayern Munich 3-2. They became the first promoted team in the league’s history to come from two goals down to beat the Bavarian outfit.
- Bayern Munich are unbeaten after the first 12 Bundesliga matches of the 2024/25 season (W9 D3). They suffered their first defeat last season on Matchday 13.
- FC Heidenheim are without a win in their last seven Bundesliga games (D1 L6), and they are currently on a four-game losing run.
- Bayern Munich are the only team in Europe’s top-five leagues to concede only one goal at home this season.
- Bayern Munich have won all nine fixtures against teams outside the current top six this season by an aggregate score of 32-3, only slipping up against Bayer Leverkusen (1-1), Eintracht Frankfurt (3-3), and Borussia Dortmund (1-1).
Player to Watch
Jamal Musiala
With Harry Kane unavailable, the onus of making the difference in the final third will fall on Jamal Musiala. While Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane are game-changers, Musiala’s output will go a long way in determining the result on Saturday.
The German international has ten goals and four assists in 18 appearances in all competitions thus far this season, with six strikes coming in the Bundesliga. The 21-year-old playmaker will look to add to that tally against the struggling FC Heidenheim this weekend.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-1 FC Heidenheim
FC Heidenheim will sense the opportunity to take something from the game vs a hurting Bayern Munich after the home side went down to Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB Pokal. However, while the visitors will take the game to their hosts, they will unlikely have the quality or momentum to topple the table-toppers.
Despite Harry Kane’s absence, the home side should run riot in the final third, with Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane making their mark. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Vincent Kompany and his charges, adding to Heidenheim’s woes.
