Heidenheim Host Union Berlin in Crucial Bundesliga Relegation Six-Pointer
Heidenheim will attempt to claim a vital victory in their fight for Bundesliga survival when they host Union Berlin at the Voith-Arena on Saturday. The match pits the league's bottom club against a mid-table Union side, with Heidenheim in desperate need of points to close an 11-point gap to safety with only six games remaining. Frank Schmidt's side, who have not won in 15 league matches, are running out of time to stage a great escape.
Heidenheim's situation is dire, with the club anchored to the bottom of the Bundesliga table with 16 points from 28 matches. They are 11 points from safety and nine points from the relegation playoff spot, making a victory against Union Berlin a near-necessity. The team has shown a flicker of resilience recently, securing back-to-back draws against league leaders Bayer Leverkususen and Borussia Mönchengladbach, but their last victory came in a 3-2 win over Freiburg in mid-December.
Despite their lowly position, Heidenheim have historically performed well against Union Berlin, winning four of the last five meetings between the two sides. This includes a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture in November. However, their form at the Voith-Arena has been poor this season, and they will be without the injured Mikkel Kaufmann, Leart Paçarada, and Sirlord Conteh for the crucial clash.
Union Berlin, currently sitting 10th in the table, travel to Heidenheim with a seven-point buffer above the relegation playoff spot. While their top-flight status looks secure, they have struggled for consistency, winning just one of their last five Bundesliga matches. Their away form is a particular concern, having lost four of their last five matches on the road. Their last victory at the Voith-Arena came in a DFB-Pokal tie in October 2022, and they have not won a league fixture there since 2015.
For Union, the match represents an opportunity to push for a top-half finish, a position that seemed unlikely earlier in the season. Manager Nenad Bjelica will be without David Preu and Matheo Raab through injury. The team will look to build on the point earned against St. Pauli last week, with Andrej Ilic, who scored the equalizer in that match, likely to feature prominently in attack.
The match is a classic six-pointer with implications at both ends of the table. A win for Heidenheim would reignite a faint glimmer of hope in their survival bid, while a victory for Union Berlin would all but secure their Bundesliga status for another season. The pressure is immense on the hosts, who must find a way to convert their recent draws into a desperately needed three points.
