Heidenheim vs Hoffenheim prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2023-08-25 13:30.
Although they went down 2-0 at Wolfsburg last weekend in the Bundesliga’s opening round, the Voith-Arena is expected to be at full capacity on Saturday afternoon when Heidenheim – the 57th different club to play in the Bundelsiga – play at home in the Bundesliga for the first time in their history. The venue was a real fortress last season when Heidenheim lost only one game across their 2. Bundesliga campaign (W12, D4), helping them to claim the title on the last day of the season.
Head coach Frank Schmidt, who has earned the club three promotions since taking the reins early in the 2007/08 season, will know that their home form might be crucial to their chances of staying up this season. These are the sort of games that Schmidt might view as winnable and their chances appear boosted by some strong form in their opening home game of the season, with 2008/09 the last and only time that Heidenheim have been beaten in their opening league home fixture during Schmidt’s tenure!
Also beginning this campaign with an opening day defeat, Hoffenheim will be aiming for a better showing than last season when they finished 12th – their worst placing since 2015/16. But under Pellegrino Matarazzo, who took over in early February with the club in a relegation fight, the Blues narrowly escaped the dreaded drop, with their improved form in the final weeks confirming their top-flight status for 2023/24.
After struggling for goals across the 2022/23 season, Matarazzo has signed former Manchester United loanee Wout Weghorst to lead the line. He missed last week’s 2-1 home loss to Freiburg with a thigh injury but is expected to play against Heidenheim and his physical presence should be a boost for the visitors, who will be looking to remain unbeaten in their second game of a league season for the eighth straight time (W4, D3 prior).
Players to watch: Tim Kleindienst scored 60 goals across the last four seasons in 2. Bundesliga, including finishing as the league’s top scorer with 25 last year. Heidenheim have actually lost just once when Kleindienst has found the net since October 2021 (W15, D6, L1). Ihlas Bebou hit the back of the net in three of the final four league games in 2022/23, with five of his seven overall league goals coming after Matarazzo took over at Hoffenheim.
Hot stat: Heidenheim have lost only four times at home in the league since the start of the 2021/22 season.