Bayern Munich will encounter Heidenheim in the upcoming Bundesliga fixture on Saturday, fully aware of the impending likelihood of surrendering the Meisterschale, following an unprecedented 11 consecutive German titles. The recent setback suffered in Der Klassiker underscores Bayern’s current position, trailing Bayer Leverkusen by a significant 13-point margin. As such, only a remarkable collapse would permit Xabi Alonso’s team to forfeit the title at this stage.
Match preview
The recent 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday marked the conclusion of an 11-game undefeated streak for Bayern Munich in their head-to-head encounters, with Karim Adeyemi and Julian Ryerson clinching goals that secured Dortmund’s victory in front of the Bavarians’ home crowd.
This defeat also signifies the first instance in a decade where Bayern Munich failed to secure a win against Dortmund at their home ground in the league. Prior to this match, Bayern had emerged victorious in all nine of their previous Bundesliga meetings at the Allianz Arena, scoring a total of 37 goals.
Manager Thomas Tuchel, who is set to depart at the season’s end, admitted that their chances of securing the league title have now diminished. This acknowledgment came after Bayer Leverkusen’s late victory over Hoffenheim last week widened the gap to an almost insurmountable 13 points.
With their domestic title aspirations fading, Bayern Munich’s focus now shifts to European competition, where they are scheduled to face Arsenal in a two-legged quarter-final tie in the Champions League over the forthcoming weeks.
While Tuchel and the Bayern squad may be preoccupied with their European campaign, this upcoming match against Heidenheim holds significant importance for the latter, being the largest club in the region.
This encounter marks the first-ever competitive meeting between the two teams at Heidenheim’s home ground, with their previous encounters taking place at the Allianz Arena and providing spectators with thrilling displays of football.
In their previous encounter, Bayern Munich triumphed 4-2, showcasing their resilience after conceding two goals to level the score at 2-2. However, the most remarkable encounter between the two occurred during the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals in 2019.
Under the management of Frank Schmidt, Heidenheim faced Niko Kovac’s Bayern Munich and, despite initially falling behind 1-0, capitalized on Bayern being reduced to 10 men to take a 2-1 lead. Although Bayern managed to reclaim a 4-2 lead, Heidenheim fought back to level the score at 4-4 before Robert Lewandowski’s late penalty secured a dramatic 5-4 victory for Bayern.
In their inaugural Bundesliga season, Heidenheim has showcased impressive performances, nearly securing safety from relegation and still holding a slim chance of qualifying for European competition.
However, their hopes for a continental debut suffered a setback in their previous match against Stuttgart, resulting in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Despite rallying from a 2-0 deficit and taking a late 3-2 lead, Heidenheim was denied victory by a last-minute equalizer.
Although the draw can be considered a positive result, it extends Heidenheim’s winless streak to one victory in 11 games. To mount a serious challenge for a possible Europa Conference League berth, Heidenheim will need to secure more victories in the remaining matches of the season.
Team News
Following his notable performance last week, Heidenheim’s forward Kleindienst is on the verge of reaching double figures in goal scoring within the top-flight league for the first time. He achieved 25 goals in the second tier last season.
After being substituted into the match, Nikola Dovedan received a red card during injury time just before Stuttgart scored the equalizing goal last week, resulting in his suspension for the upcoming match.
Additionally, Adrian Beck, Thomas Keller, and Elidon Qenaj continue to be sidelined due to injuries for the hosting team.
Harry Kane was unable to increase his total of 31 league goals last weekend, indicating a dwindling opportunity for him to surpass Lewandowski’s Bundesliga record of 41 goals.
Looking ahead, the English striker anticipates his return to North London midweek as Bayern confronts Arsenal. To ensure their fitness for the Tuesday match against Arsenal, Manuel Neuer and Raphael Guerreiro may be rested for the upcoming fixture.
Furthermore, Sacha Boey remains unavailable due to injury, while fellow right-back Noussair Mazraoui is still in the process of recovering from illness.
Heidenheim possible starting lineup:
Muller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Fohrenbach; Schoppner, Theuerkauf, Pieringer; Dinkci, Kleindienst, Beste
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Ulreich; Kimmich, Kim, Upamecano, Davies; Laimer, Goretzka; Tel, Gnabry, Coman; Kane