Bayern Munich vs Heidenheim preview, H2H, team news, line-ups and prediction

Bayern Munich will look to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a clash against Heidenheim at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Vincent Kompany has made an exceptional start to his Bundesliga managerial tenure. His Bayern Munich squad currently leads the table with an unbeaten record, boasting nine victories and three draws in 12 matches.

After a challenging previous season that saw them finish third, the Bavarians have reclaimed their spot at the league summit, firmly positioned as title favorites. With 27 points, they maintain a four-point advantage over second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt so fans with Bayern Munich tickets are hoping the title will be returning to the Allianz Arena this season.

Kompany’s implementation of a 4-2-3-1 system has created the ideal conditions for Bayern’s top talents to shine, with standout performances from players like Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise this season.

In their previous outing, Bayern narrowly avoided their first defeat of the season, securing a 1-1 draw in the Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund.

However, their DFB-Pokal campaign ended with a 0-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen after being reduced to 10 players in the 18th minute.

Despite the setback in the cup, the draw marked the first time Bayern dropped points in the league after six consecutive victories. They remain unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season, with nine wins and three draws from their 12 matches.

Bayern have been prolific in attack, scoring 37 goals while conceding just eight times in the Bundesliga—both are the best records in the league.

Their DFB-Pokal loss was their first home defeat across all competitions since a 2-0 setback against Borussia Dortmund in late March. Since then, they have recorded 11 wins and two draws at the Allianz Arena

Kompany’s side will aim to recover from the cup disappointment as they host Heidenheim in their 13th Bundesliga fixture on Saturday.

Heidenheim’s clashes against Bayern in recent years embody a modern-day David vs. Goliath battle in German football, pitting the Bundesliga’s giants against its spirited newcomers. Despite the disparity, Frank Schmidt’s team has consistently shown that they can trouble the Bavarians in previous meetings.

The small town from Baden-Württemberg with a little over 100,000 people achieved one of the most fairytale stories in Bundesliga history last season when an inspired second-half Kevin Sessa strike and a Tim Kleindienst brace inspired Frank Schmidt’s side to a 3-2 comeback win over the Bavarians at the Voith-Arena.

However, things haven’t been going too well for them this season as they currently sit in 16th place with eight losses so far after 12 games in the Bundesliga.

Head coach Frank Schmidt has endured a challenging beginning to the Bundesliga season. His favoured 3-4-3 setup, designed to transform into a back five when defending, aims to provide solidity and resilience but has fallen short of expectations.

Despite their defensive approach, the team has been leaky, owning one of the poorest defensive records in the league.

The 2024-25 campaign began on a promising note for Heidenheim, with victories in their first five matches and seven wins from their opening nine games across all competitions.

The away side has managed just two victories in their last 11 outings, suffering eight defeats and settling for one draw during that stretch.

Schmidt is undoubtedly troubled by their current four-match losing streak. However, their 4-0 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt left little room for dispute, as the Eagles created five clear-cut chances while limiting Heidenheim to just one.

In their previous seven Bundesliga fixtures, Schmidt’s men have failed to find the back of the net on four occasions and have endured defeat in six of those encounters.

Their struggles away from home this season have been evident, with three consecutive away losses in the league and defeats in three of their last four matches across all competitions when playing away from home.

Bayern Munich vs. Heidenheim match details

• Date: Saturday, 7th December, 2024
• Location: Munich, Germany
• Venue: Allianz Arena
• Kick-off time: 02:30 PM GMT, 9:30 AM ET, 15:30 CET
• Referee: Sören Storks

Match stats and head-to-head

• Bayern have not lost any game at the Allianz Arena this season.

• Heidenheim are on a streak of seven matches without a win, losing six and recording one draw.

• The Bavarians have taken at least 14 shots per game and 230 in total, the most by a team after 12 matches in the Bundesliga this season.

• At least three goals have been scored in Heidenheim’s last three matches.

• This will be the fourth-ever clash between these two sides in history, with Heidenheim recording that famous 3-2 comeback win against Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern side.

• The Bavarians have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six Bundesliga matches at the Allianz Arena.

• Vincent Kompany’s side has scored at least three goals in their last three home matches.

• Frank Schmidt’s side has picked up at least two yellow cards per game in the Bundesliga this season.

• Bayern have netted an impressive nine goals across two home matches against Heidenheim. This season, they also hold the Bundesliga’s most prolific attack, amassing 37 goals in just 12 matches.

• The Bavarians hold the best defensive record in the Bundesliga this season, conceding only eight goals, three more than Union Berlin, who hold the second-best defensive record with 11 conceded goals.

Team news

Kompany will be without 20-goal forward Harry Kane, who has been sidelined till late this month with a torn muscle fibre.

The Belgian tactician could opt for a frontline of Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, and Kingsley Coman with Thomas Muller providing support.

Former Fulham midfielder João Palhinha is ruled out of this clash with a torn muscle and is expected to be sidelined until January next year.

Manuel Neuer was red-carded in the loss to Leverkusen in the DFB Pokal, but the veteran goalkeeper will be available for selection as the suspension does not count in the league.

For Heidenheim, Marvin Pieringer will not feature in this clash and is ruled out till next year with an Achilles tendon injury.

Midfielders Julian Niehues and Luka Janes have fitness concerns, and their availability for this match hinges on a fitness test.

Schmidt could deploy a midfield trio consisting of Niklas Dorsch, Lennard Maloney, and Jan Schoppner, with Patrick Mainka and Benedikt Gimber likely forming the central defence.

Upfront, Paul Wanner, Mikkel Kaufmann, and Leo Scienza are expected to lead Heidenheim’s attack.

Predicted starting lineup

Bayern Munich predicted starting lineup:

Neuer; Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Coman; Muller.

Heidenheim predicted starting lineup:

Muller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Fohrenbach; Dorsch, Maloney, Schoppner; Wanner, Kaufmann, Scienza.

Prediction

Bayern have been on fire this season and are determined to reclaim the Bundesliga title after losing out to Bayer Leverkusen last season.

Their draw against Borussia Dortmund in their last game in the league looks to be a fair result, as Nuri Şahin’s side did not make it easy for them.

The Bavarians will now look to bounce back from their DFB Pokal loss to Leverkusen with a win against a Heidenheim side that have been in a poor run of form.

Achieving that without their talisman shouldn’t be much of a problem, as they also possess more quality in attack to get the job done.

We’re predicting a 3-0 win for Bayern.