Bayer Leverkusen aims to solidify their top-four position as they travel to the Voith Arena on Saturday to take on struggling Heidenheim.
Heidenheim finds themselves rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga table with a mere 14 points, trailing 16th-placed St. Pauli by ten points. Their last victory dates back to December last year, a 2-1 win against Freiburg. Since then, the team has endured a dismal run of form, with a recent 1-0 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt all but sealing their fate for relegation from the Bundesliga.
Coach Frank Schmidt will be without Tim Siersleben due to illness, with Patrick Mainka expected to step in. Upfront, Budu Zivzivadze might earn a starting spot.
Bayer Leverkusen enters this Bundesliga fixture following a 2-0 aggregate defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League Round of 16. While manager Xabi Alonso can be proud of his team’s efforts against “The Gunners” across both legs, their focus now shifts entirely to the Bundesliga as they push for a coveted top-four finish.
Die Werkself are currently five points adrift of fourth-placed Stuttgart in the league. With eight games remaining, they aim to bridge this gap and secure qualification for next season’s Champions League. Their last two Bundesliga outings resulted in draws against Freiburg and Bayern Munich. Stuttgart’s recent victory over RB Leipzig means Alonso’s side could potentially overtake them with a favorable result this matchday, depending on other fixtures.
Loïc Badé remains sidelined with a thigh injury. In defense, Tim Oermann is a potential starter alongside Robert Andrich and Jarell Quansah, as Edmond Tapsoba is suspended.
Predicted Lineups for Heidenheim vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Heidenheim:
Ramaj; Busch, P. Mainka, Gimber, Behrens; Schöppner, Dorsch; Kerber; Dinkçi, C. Conteh; Zivzivadze.
Bayer Leverkusen:
Flekken; Quansah, Andrich, Oermann, Grimaldo; E. Fernández, Aleix García; Maza, Poku; Terrier, Schick.
