Preview: Spotlight on Heidenheim | OneFootball

Eintracht are back in Bundesliga action on Matchday 29 with a home game against 1. FC Heidenheim.

The backdrop

Following Thursday’s 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur, the Eagles host 1. FC Heidenheim in the Bundesliga at Deutsche Bank Park on Sunday evening (kick-off 17:30 CEST). “The objective is to beat Heidenheim and pick up all three points,” said head coach Dino Toppmöller.

Currently third in the standings on 48 points, Eintracht are determined to consolidate that position. “We’re aware of how important that match against Heidenheim is and how important it’ll be to produce another good performance,” said sporting director Timmo Hardung. “The match against Heidenheim is just as important as the one against Tottenham,” added Arthur Theate.

Battling for survival

Heidenheim have their own reasons for wanting the points, however. Sitting 16th in the table, Frank Schmidt’s side are scrapping to stay in the top flight. They played well in a recent 1-0 win in Wolfsburg and in last week’s 1-0 home defeat by Leverkusen, so Toppmöller will not be underestimating Sunday’s visitors: “I had a more in-depth chat with the team shortly after our arrival. The Bundesliga is our bread and butter. The Heidenheim game is very important to us.”

Looking back

Eintracht fans will have fond memories of the reverse fixture earlier this season. Goals from Omar Marmoush, Farès Chaibi and Hugo Ekitiké contributed to a comfortable 4-0 away win, which marked Heidenheim’s biggest top-flight defeat.

Looking back

Eintracht fans will have fond memories of the reverse fixture earlier this season. Goals from Omar Marmoush, Farès Chaibi and Hugo Ekitiké contributed to a comfortable 4-0 away win, which marked Heidenheim’s biggest top-flight defeat.

“The only difference in the first half was chance conversion,” said Schmidt after that game. “But in the second half there was a gulf in class between us and one of the Bundesliga’s best teams.”

Having now returned from London and with the focus switching to domestic matters, Ellyes Skhiri summed up Eintracht’s approach: “We have to recover now and then produce a very good performance against Heidenheim, because it’s a really important game.”