Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Conference League match.
Last week in Sweden, Heidenheim secured a narrow advantage over Häcken (2:1) that they need to consolidate at home. The German side also had a successful Bundesliga opener against St. Pauli (2-0), and the national league game didn't take much out of them.
Heidenheim
Despite playing second fiddle against the Swedish club (34-66 in possession), Heidenheim were more convincing in the attacking third. Frank Schmidt utilised a 4-1-4-1 formation with Luca Kerber as the lone defensive midfielder, and goals from wingers Manu Koné and Léo Scienza came after overloading the centre. Notably, against St. Pauli midfielder Paul Wanner, a Bayern Munich academy graduate, made a successful debut, scoring the winning goal as the team generated a solid 1.45 xG from six shots.
BK Häcken
The defeat to Heidenheim halted Häcken's unbeaten run of seven matches. The Scandinavian side seemed capable of winning after Mikkel Rygaard's goal, but an injury to wing-back Valgeir Fridriksson forced the coaching staff to change the formation. Over the weekend in the Swedish league, the team couldn't defeat Värnamo (1:1), showing nothing impressive in attack against a team in the relegation zone (7-7 shots).
Heidenheim - BK Häcken Prediction
For the full season, Heidenheim might lack the squad depth for multiple competitions, but they are currently outperforming their rivals (8:1 aggregate score in three consecutive wins). Häcken won't even manage a draw in Germany.
