Dortmund vs Heidenheim prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2023-08-31 18:30.
As a team set on ending Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga dominance, Borussia Dortmund would have seen their 1-1 draw at VfL Bochum as costly points dropped, and coach Edin Terzić was quick to bemoan a lack of player commitment post-match as his side marked a third time in the last four seasons that they failed to start the season with maximum points from the opening two rounds. But since 2011/12, they’ve failed to win their first two home games only twice, although that does include last season’s remarkable defeat to another newly-promoted side in Werder Bremen, where they conceded three late goals en route to squandering a 2-0 lead – that was coincidentally also in matchday three.
With that, the hosts have lost exactly one home game against a newly-promoted team in each of the last three seasons (W3, L3), two of them by a one-goal margin, and they conceded at least three goals in each of those defeats. They’ll hope they don’t add to that yearly tradition here, but BVB are lamenting two fresh injuries as Mats Hummels and Felix Nmecha were both forced off the pitch this past weekend, although early indications are they both have a chance of making this game.
Heidenheim scored their first Bundesliga goal and were on the verge of their first top-tier points in the club's history, before blowing a 2-0 lead in the final quarter of an hour in their 3-2 home defeat to TSG Hoffenheim. While that makes them the first promoted team since FC Köln and SC Paderborn in 2019/20 to lose both of their opening games, they might take comfort from the fact only two sides starting the season with two losses have gone on to be relegated since then.
The visitors are now bidding to avoid suffering a third successive league defeat, something they haven’t experienced since way back in October 2021 in 2. Bundesliga. That was also the last time they conceded 2+ goals in three straight league matches, a streak they’re hoping to avoid here.
Players to watch: Donyell Malen has notably contributed to BVB’s four points so far with two goals, taking his tally for the calendar year to 11, making him the Bundesliga’s joint-top scorer for that period. Jan-Niklas Beste scored Heidenheim’s first ever Bundesliga goal last round, in turn becoming just the third player since Opta data started to be collected in 2004/05 to miss a penalty and score a direct free kick in the same Bundesliga game!
Hot streak: BVB are unbeaten in home league action in 16 matches (W14, D2).