Could Heidenheim actually win the Bundesliga? | OneFootball

When Heidenheim were promoted to the Bundesliga, there was little expectation placed upon Frank Schmidt’s side, having been regarded as strong favourites to go straight back to Germany’s second tier.

However, against all the odds, Heidenheim stunned the Bundesliga; with victories over Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart, the small club from Baden-Württemberg qualified for European football.

This season, Heidenheim will compete in the UEFA Conference League, where they will host two-time European champions Chelsea in a real David vs Goliath clash.

Nevertheless, while a European adventure will feel like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Frank Schmidt’s side, there could be more on the horizon.

Having dispatched newly promoted St. Pauli in front of a gruelling atmosphere at the Millerntor-Stadion in Hamburg, Heidenheim have also impressed at home, putting Augsburg to the sword on matchday two with an emphatic 4-0 victory.

It would be fair to say that Heidenheim have been the surprise package of German football over the past twelve months, but could Frank Schmidt’s side take their underdog status to unimaginable heights?

Could Heidenheim actually win the Bundesliga?

Just two games into the new campaign, Heidenheim are sitting at the top of the Bundesliga table—a remarkable achievement even though the season is in its infancy.

Six goals without reply from 180 minutes of football highlight the breath-taking work undertaken by Frank Schmidt since becoming head coach of the side in 2007.

Still one of the favourites to go down this season for many—mainly due to the addition of European football—Heidenheim are continuing to prove everyone wrong again, or are they?

It had previously been reported by GGFN that Opta had predicted Bayer Leverkusen to reclaim their Bundesliga title.

However, when Opta simulated the league 1000 times, Bayern, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Mainz were also all predicted to be crowned German champions at least once, along with Heidenheim.

The data used by Opta believes that Frank Schmidt’s side has a slight chance of winning the Bundesliga, regardless of how small that chance might be.

In Paul Wanner, Heidenheim do have a creative and clinical attacking threat, complemented by a variety of attacking options that Schmidt can rely upon at any given time.

Defensively, while they may have left a little to be desired at times last season, they are a well-drilled unit that can frustrate any opponent on their day.

Whether Heidenheim will win the Bundesliga is far too early to say, and in truth, it is highly unlikely.

But there is a side ready to compete for European football once again, and as for relegation, there is no sign of Heidenheim succumbing to the drop.

GGFN | Will Shopland