Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Bundesliga match.
An astounding beginning to the season by Heidenheim allows them to travel to Dortmund for the next round as the leaders of the German Championship. It's evident that Borussia Dortmund, even without their key defender Nico Schlotterbeck, are closer to securing a victory, but they will have to work hard against the sensational mid-table side.
Borussia Dortmund
Under their new coaching staff, Borussia Dortmund also managed a strong start. Against Eintracht Frankfurt, Jamie Gittens made the difference, scoring twice off the bench (2:0). However in terms of xG, the match with Eintracht Frankfurt was fairly even throughout the 90 minutes (1.41 vs 1.19). In the last round in Bremen, one of Dortmund's main issues was revealed: a lack of a forward in optimal form, as Werder Bremen managed to snatch a draw with just 0.76 xGA. Maximilian Beier and Karim Adeyemi find it uncomfortable to play as the sole striker, and Serhou Guirassy has not yet recovered from his injury.
Heidenheim
Heidenheim's success with a series of five victories can be attributed to a lighter schedule: the recent newcomers to the German elite were favourites in all matches except the away game against St. Pauli (2:0). Certainly, the excellent form of Bayern Munich loanee Paul Wanner (2 +1 in the Bundesliga) is noteworthy, but the team has a very weak bench, and they are already overachieving in terms of finishing (6 goals with 4.26 xG).
Borussia Dortmund — Heidenheim Prediction
Last season, Heidenheim twice took points off Borussia Dortmund (2:2 and 0:0). The new meeting in Dortmund will become an opportunity for Nuri Şahin to put the upstarts in their place, although both sides still have deficiencies in attack. So it’s best to go with the total under.
