Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Bundesliga match.
The November international break came at the right time for Bayer Leverkusen, as they had strayed from their winning ways. Heading into the match against Heidenheim, the reigning champions have gone a whole month without a Bundesliga victory—catching Bayern Munich remains possible, but they need to secure points here and now.
Bayer Leverkusen
It's clear that Bayer's morale dipped in November following their heavy defeat at Anfield against Liverpool (0:4), even though they performed decently in the first half (conceding none and managing 5-9 in shots). Against Bochum (1:1), fortune deserted Bayer Leverkusen in the closing stages—based on their chances, they should have claimed all three points (1.24-0.63 xG). Bayer Leverkusen are still ranked second in the league for xG (24.03 over 10 games).
Heidenheim
Heidenheim's attack raised questions last season when the newcomers only just reached the upper half of the table. With the added burden of the Conference League, Heidenheim have faltered: against Holstein Kiel (0:1) and Wolfsburg (1:3), they allowed a combined 3.68 xGA. On their travels in the league, the mid-table team have conceded eight goals in five matches.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Heidenheim Prediction
In their title-winning season, Bayer Leverkusen easily defeated Heidenheim (4:1 and 2:1). Again, the motivated favourites are expected to have the upper hand.
