Holstein Kiel and Heidenheim meet at Holstein-Stadion in Saturday's gameweek nine match in a battle between a host in their first Bundesliga season and an opponent in their second-ever top-flight year.
The newly promoted side has yet to win this season, while Heidenheim sit mid-table before their visit to Kiel.
Match preview
Die Storche's first Bundesliga season has been a struggle, with the team still searching for their first win.
Kiel are second-bottom with two points, one more than cellar-dwelling VfL Bochum before hosting Heidenheim.
Previous matches in front of their supporters have gone against them, underscored by four consecutive defeats against Wolfsburg (0-2), Bayern Munich (1-6), Eintracht Frankfurt (2-4) and Union Berlin (0-2).
Firing blanks in 50% of their matches at Holstein-Stadion points to the promoted club's goalscoring problems on home soil, given their four-match scoring road run.
Marcel Rapp's men have notched two in the loss to Hoffenheim (3-2) and in a pair of draws at Bochum and Bayer Leverkusen (2-2), and they netted for the fourth match on their travels last time out in the 2-1 loss to Stuttgart.
The supporters will hope Rapp's side play freely on home soil this weekend, keen to record their first success in their inaugural top-flight season against 10th-placed opponents.
Heidenheim enter the ninth matchday in indifferent form, with their only victory in all competitions in their previous five a 1-0 Conference League success at Pafos.
Three losses have been suffered in that period, including a recent 2-1 elimination by Hertha Berlin in the DFB-Pokal that followed the continental win and a goalless league game against Hoffenheim.
Despite their 10th-place ranking, Frank Schmidt's men sit five points above St. Pauli in the relegation playoff position in 16th, highlighting the compactness of the embryonic Bundesliga table.
The Baden-Wurttemberg outfit could rise as high as seventh with success and other results favouring them, but that eventuality is far from assured for a club with one victory in their last five this term and one point secured from the last available nine (two losses).
Given their one-win-in-six record in Kiel, the travelling support may not approach this weekend confident in their prospects despite the second-bottom club making the worst start of any Bundesliga newcomer.
Team News
Kiel could be without captain Lewis Holtby, whose availability is uncertain due to a back injury.
However, Jann-Fiete Arp is suspended for one match after his sending-off at Stuttgart (two yellows), while the injuries to Alexander Bernhardsson (groin), Andu Yobel Kelati and Colin Noah Kleine-Bekel (both have knee problems) further limit their options.
Shuto Machino (four goals) and Armin Gigovic (two) hope to add to their respective tallies when Heidenheim visit.
Although Heidenheim have a few injury concerns, Schmidt has a relatively strong squad available; Luka Janes is doubtful due to a shoulder injury, while Thomas Keller and Julian Niehues are anticipated to be absent.
The away side's forwards — Paul Wanner, Marvin Pieringer and Leo Scienza — hope to have a say in Saturday's match for a club aiming for their third road win in 2024-25.
Holstein Kiel possible starting lineup:
Weiner; Ivezic, Erras, Geschwill; Becker, Knudsen, Gigovic, Porath; Machino; Skrzybski, Pichler
Heidenheim possible starting lineup:
Miller; Traore, Mainka, Gimber, Fohrenbach; Dorsch, Maloney, Schoppner; Wanner, Pieringer, Scienza
We say: Holstein Kiel 1-2 Heidenheim
Despite Heidenheim's underwhelming record at Kiel, the visitors have more about them than the struggling 17th-placed side and will back themselves to clinch a third road top-flight success in five away matches.
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