Eintracht Frankfurt will look to return to winning ways when they host Heidenheim in the Bundesliga. After six games, not many people would have guessed that the visitors would enter the match level on points.
Preview (Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Heidenheim)
With all due respect to Heidenheim, Frankfurt’s problems throughout the early weeks of the season played a large part in that circumstance, even though their 2-0 loss to Wolfsburg last weekend marked the first time they had exited a game without picking up any points thus far this year. The difference between the two teams was Jonas Wind’s brace on either side of Mario Gotze’s red. Niko Kovac would have enjoyed beating his previous team from the manager’s seat to the hosts. Dino Toppmoller’s team had been very difficult to defeat prior to their trip to Lower Saxony. They had also found it difficult to win games themselves.
Toppmoller will be looking at Sunday’s game against their newly promoted opponents as the ideal opportunity to get back to winning ways before the approaching international break after they were defeated once again when they traveled to Greece to face PAOK in the Europa Conference League on Thursday. Heidenheim, on the other hand, is taking advantage of its early-season success in the Bundesliga. A club of Heidenheim’s status might learn a lot from their most recent opponents. Die Eisernen were only promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in their history in 2019. They went on to somehow qualify for the Champions League.
But Frank Schmidt and his team did not let their undeniable regard and respect for Union Berlin translate into any politeness, as Jan-Niklas Beste’s goal just before the hour mark was sufficient to defeat them at Voith-Arena. Heidenheim’s lone road point thus far this campaign came when they overcame Borussia Dortmund. It demonstrates that Frankfurt would be folly to underestimate their opponents at any time.
Team News
Due to elbow and calf ailments, Frankfurt will continue to be without Simon Simoni and club captain Sebastian Rode. Gotze will miss Sunday’s game out on suspension following his red card against Wolfsburg. The 2014 World Cup champion will likely be replaced by Niels Nkounkou. Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe began out of position at left wing-back in the defeat last weekend. He may transition into a more central position in between the lines. Kevin Sessa, Marnon Busch, and Elidon Qenaj will not be traveling with Heidenheim due to injuries. Schmidt hopes that they will be healthy enough to play again during the upcoming international break.
In actuality, it would be a great shock if Schmidt made any changes to the starting lineup that overcame Union Berlin the last time out, especially because his team has had an eight-day break between matches, unlike their opponents. Frankfurt will undoubtedly enter this match as the favorites, but they have definitely been negatively impacted by the loss of Randal Kolo Muani to Paris Saint-Germain at the conclusion of the summer transfer window, and their performance may suffer until the France front is finally replaced in January. We expect Heidenheim to return home with another point to add to their expanding tally since they had no European obligations in the middle of the week and defeated Union Berlin the previous time out.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1 – 1 Heidenheim
For more football previews, click here
