Bochum vs Heidenheim prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2024-12-21 14:30.
[p]Certain to spend the Christmas break in the Bundesliga’s bottom two, things are looking bleak for Bochum, who start the round eight points adrift of definite safety. They’re the only club without a German top-flight win this season (D3, L11), a record which is now the second-worst 14-game start to a Bundesliga season in history! [/p]
[p]Concerningly for the hosts, all four sides in Bundesliga history (counting three points for a win) with a maximum of three points from the opening 14 games went on to be relegated. Bochum will hope to be the side who buck that trend, and there could be a silver lining on the horizon in the form of Heidenheim, who the Blues are unbeaten against in the last seven H2Hs (W5, D2).[/p]
[p]A 1-1 Conference League draw against St Gallen in midweek was bitter-sweet for Heidenheim, as although it was enough to see them through to the knockout play-off round as a seeded side, it could’ve been so much more. Had they held onto their 1-0 lead, they’d have finished in the eighth and final last-16 spot, which would’ve given them two less games to contend with in the new year. [/p]
[p]They’ll have to quickly park that disappointment as they’ve got a faltering league campaign of their own to get back on track, with Heidenheim winless in a club-record nine Bundesliga games (D1, L8). Snapping that run will undoubtedly hinge on their defence tightening up, as they’ve incredibly scored exactly twice in six of their seven away league games this season (W2, L5). [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Ibrahima Sissoko opened his Bochum account last weekend and his last five goalscoring appearances at club level each saw the home team on the day score exactly once. Heidenheim have won nine competitive games this term and Paul Wanner has scored in five of them, with four of his five goals in those wins arriving after the break. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Ahead of the round, Heidenheim’s away league games have averaged a league-high 2.29 second-half goals per game. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Chris Wilson[/i][/p]