Matchday in focus: 1. FC Heidenheim

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Eintracht Frankfurt

·1 de diciembre de 2024

Matchday in focus: 1. FC Heidenheim

Heidenheim attacker Paul Wanner is the subject of an international tug-of-war, although the attacker is rated doubtful to play on Sunday.

Tactics Heidenheim tend to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but in recent games head coach Frank Schmidt has adapted his team’s shape depending on the opposition. Despite their tactical variations and at times high percentage of possession (65 percent against Wolfsburg, for example), they haven’t won any of their last six Bundesliga assignments and are currently 16th in the table.

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Absentees

Eintracht Frankfurt will be without the injured Aurèle Amenda. For Heidenheim, Marnon Busch (groin), Sirlord Conteh, Mathias Honsak, Mikkel Kaufmann, Leo Scienza (all muscular), Luka Janes, Julian Niehues, Thomas Keller (all with knee complaints), and Paul Wanner (muscular) are rated doubtful, with Marvin Pieringer the only certain absentee.

One to watch: Paul Wanner

Schmidt said a decision on Wanner “will be made on the day” after the 18-year-old was left with a knock following the 2-0 UEFA Conference League defeat by Chelsea. The attacking midfielder made his Bundesliga debut in January 2022 under Julian Nagelsmann, becoming the youngest-ever first team player in Bayern Munich’s history at the age of just 16. He made his debut for Germany’s U21 side in October 2024 and has since scored one goal in three outings. Wanner…

…has also represented Germany at U17, U18 and U20 level.
…has won the Bundesliga title twice with Bayern; on the first of those occasions he became the youngest player ever to do so at 16 years, 121 days.
...also became Bayern’s all-time youngest Champions League participant at the age of 16 years, 293 days.
…is eligible to represent both Germany and Austria at senior international level.

Facts and figures

Heidenheim have played 19 competitive games so far this season, which is more than any other Bundesliga team. In addition to 11 league outings and two in the DFB Cup, they also played two Conference League qualifying matches and a further four in the competition proper.

This will be the fourth meeting between these teams. Eintracht have won all three to date: two in the Bundesliga last season and one in the DFB Cup round of 16 in 2017/18.