Union Berlin vs. Heidenheim preview: Die Eisernen eyeing back-to-back wins

Union Berlin

Union head into the weekend in eighth spot after winning four, drawing three and losing four of their 11 league matches this term. They recorded their fourth league win of the season in last Saturday’s away clash against St. Pauli, with Rani Khedira’s effort proving enough to seal a narrow 1-0 victory.

Steffan Baumgart’s side have proven to be a tough team to beat in recent weeks, having lost just one of their previous five matches in the top flight (D2, L1). They have also avoided defeat in each of their last four home league games, although three of those matches finished all square.

The hosts are looking to claim their first victory since beating Heidenheim 2-0 in the DFB-Pokal in October 2022. Their hopes of picking up all three points may rest on whether Union can grab the opening goal, considering they have lost four matches in which they have conceded first this season. 

Team News

András Schäfer and Josip Juranović could feature in the squad after recovering from their respective injury issues. However, the hosts remain without the services of Robert Skov, Dmytro Bogdanov and Andrik Markgraf.

Predicted lineup: Rønnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite; Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Roth; Burke, Ansah, Ilić

Heidenheim

Heidenheim are languishing at the bottom of the table after winning one, drawing two and losing eight of their 11 league matches this season. The basement side have lost four of their previous six Bundesliga outings (D2), including heavy defeats on either side of the international break. Heidenheim fell to a 6-0 away loss on November 8, before they fell to a 3-0 defeat in their most recent outing at Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Frank Schmidt’s side have now shipped 26 goals in their 11 league games, leaving them with the worst defensive record in the division. They are also the league’s lowest scorers with just eight goals to their name. 

With Heidenheim low on confidence, they may be able to take inspiration from the fact that they have won three of their four Bundesliga meetings with Union. Saturday’s visitors completed a league double in the 2024-25 campaign, recording a 2-0 home win in January before cruising to a 3-0 success in May. 

Team News

Heidenheim forward Budu Zivzivadze will miss the match with a knee injury. The visitors are also expected to be without Mikkel Kaufmann, Leart Paçarada, Sirlord Conteh and Frank Feller. 

Predicted lineup: Ramaj; Kölle, Mainka, Siersleben; Busch, Kerber, Dorsch, Föhrenbach; Ibrahimović, Honsak, Pieringer