Heidenheim vs Köln Prediction & Betting Tips - Bundesliga

Prediction published on 18/05/2024, 01:22  by Daniel Ngulu in Bundesliga Predictions

Heidenheim will wrap up a historic season in the Bundesliga with a home game against Cologne. Heading into this game, Heidenheim have a chance at finishing eighth, while Cologne must win here to try and avoid automatic relegation. Billed relegation candidates at the start of the season, Heidenheim have made a mockery of the predictions. The Bundesliga first-timers go into the final league game with a chance to play in Europe next season. Placed ninth, they need a win here and hope eighth-placed Freiburg fall to Union Berlin. it is all a slim possibility, putting goal-difference into account ahead of the highly contested eighth spot. Still, there is all to fight for, as finishing eighth could be enough for European football. A strong finish is what Frank Schmidt will be calling for, his team having lost just once in the last eight league matches. They however have just three wins in their last 17 league matches, a majority of them ending in draws. In their most recent outing, they drew 1-1 with Freiburg, taking their undefeated run to three matches ahead of this.

Things are much more complicated for Cologne. For starters, their Bundesliga fate is not in their hands anymore. They need a win here and hope that Union Berlin falls at home to Freiburg on the final weekend. That may still not be enough as Cologne have an inferior goal difference. The Billy Goats did their part in this quest last time out, coming from 2-0 down to beat Union Berlin 3-2. Like Heidenheim, they too carry into this game a three-game undefeated run, and will hope to build on it. The best they can get is a finish in the relegation playoff spot. That will give them a lifeline in the topflight, as the 16th placed finisher faces Fortuna Dusseldorf in the relegation playoff. In their only Bundesliga meeting with Heidenheim, the two sides drew 1-1. The silver lining for the visitors is that they’ve never lost to Heidenheim, having met three times. Two of those three meetings ended in draws. Three wins only in their last 20 Bundesliga matches will not inspire a lot of confidence in Cologne coming here.