Both teams will be hoping to return to winning ways when Heidenheim host Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Prior to the international break, Heidenheim were defeated away to Eintracht Frankfurt, while Augsburg lost at home to SV Darmstadt 98.

Match preview

Losing away to a team who represented Germany in the Champions League last season certainly did not represent a drama for Heidenheim, who have still performed above expectations by collecting seven points from their opening seven matches.

After all, they are competing in the Bundesliga for the first time in their history after securing promotion on a pulsating final day of last season, with their sole aim for the current campaign likely to be maintaining their status in the top flight.

Frank Schmidt's side have won two of their three league matches at Voith-Arena, while in their other match they led Hoffenheim 2-0 before throwing that match away late on to fall to a late defeat. However, they made amends for this in their following game by producing a similar comeback to claim a point away to Borussia Dortmund after trailing 2-0 at Westfalenstadion.

Overall, this suggests they have every chance of putting greater distance between themselves and the relegation zone by securing another home victory against Augsburg on Sunday.

In many ways, Augsburg provide a strong model for clubs of Heidenheim's stature to attempt to follow, having gained promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in their history in 2011. Impressively, they have remained in Germany's top flight ever since.

For the fourth time in those ensuing 12 seasons, Fuggerstadter finished 15th, narrowly avoided the dreaded relegation playoff in the process. Former manager Enrico Maassen ultimately achieved his primary objective by a solitary point, but it was not always a pretty watch.

Indeed, Augsburg's form did not improve under the 39-year-old this season, with their 2-1 defeat at home to newly promoted Darmstadt in their last match leading to Maassen's sacking. He has been replaced by Jess Thorup, who has won two Danish Superliga titles with FC Midtylland and Copenhagen.

In between those spells in his Danish homeland, Thorup managed Gent and Genk in Belgium, so he will be hoping to impress from the outset in one of Europe's top five leagues when he takes his new team to Heidenheim this weekend.

Team News

Heidenheim will remain without Elidon Qenaj due to a knee injury, while Adrian Beck and Marnon Busch are both major doubts due to facial and muscle issues respectively.

Schmidt is not exactly blessed with exceptional squad depth, so despite losing their last game to Frankfurt, he may stick with the same side.

Augsburg, meanwhile, will travel without Raphael Framberger and Masaya Okugawa due to long-term knee injuries, while Reece Oxford is ruled out after testing positive for COVID-19.

Frustratingly for Thorup in his first game in charge, he is unlikely to be able to call upon the likes of Kevin Mbabu, Ruben Vargas, Frederik Winther or Japhet Tanganga either, so it remains to be seen what he considers to be his strongest starting XI.

Heidenheim possible starting lineup:
Muller; Traore, Mainka, Siersleben, Fohrenbach; Maloney, Theuerkauf; Dinkci, Pieringer, Beste; Kleindienst

Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Dahmen; Gumny, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Iago; Cardona, Rexhbecaj, Engels, Maier; Demirovic, Tietz

We say: Heidenheim 2-1 Augsburg

Heidenheim have been impressive at home this season, with only a late collapse against Hoffenheim costing them a 100% record after three games, whereas Augsburg have failed to win any of their last 16 away trips in the Bundesliga.

Thorup clearly has a major job on his hands to turn things around in Bavaria, but it may time him some time to do so. As such, we can envisage a narrow home victory for the newly promoted side on Sunday.


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