Bayern Munich vs Heidenheim Preview: Where to Watch, Live Steam, Kick Off Time & Team News
Bayern Munich are set to host 2. Bundesliga side Heidenheim in the quarter-final of the DFB Cup on Wednesday night, looking to secure their first cup trophy since 2016.
Bayern currently sit second in the Bundesliga, two points behind league leaders Borussia Dortmund with nine matches remaining. The reigning German champions have not sat outside first place in the league this late in the season since 2011 when Dortmund took home their second title in as many years.
Heidenheim are in sixth place in Germany's second division and sit just four points off the third spot in the table. If Heidenheim can make up the points, they will be set for a two-leg playoff with whoever finishes 16th in the Bundesliga. Heidenheim have never played in the top flight of German football.
Check out 90min's preview of the DFB quarter-final clash between Bayern and Heidenheim.
Where to Watch
When Is Kickoff? | Wednesday 3 April |
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What Time Is Kickoff? | 17:30 (BST) |
Where Is it Played? | Allianz Arena |
TV Channel/Live Stream | N/A |
Referee | Guido Winkmann |
Team News
Bayern will look to extend their winning streak against second-tier opposition to 17 games if they beat Heidenheim. Captain Manuel Neuer and defender David Alaba are a doubt for the quarter-final tie in Munich and will be assessed by manager Niko Kovac on Wednesday to decide their fate for the match. The Bavarians will be without Alphonso Davies, Arjen Robben and Corentin Tolisso all of whom are nursing various injuries picked up throughout the season.
Heidenheim go into the match with a relatively full squad and will just be without winger Robert Leipertz who has been out of the team since December 2018 with a torn tendon.
Predicted Lineups
Bayern | Ulreich; Kimmich, Sule, Hummels, Rafinha; Martinez, Thiago, Gnabry, Rodriguez, Ribery; Lewandowski |
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Heidenheim | Muller; Busch, Mainka, Beerman, Feick; Schnatterer, Dorsch, Theuerkauf, Thiel; Dovendan, Glatzel |
Head to Head Record
The two sides have never faced off in a competitive match in their history. Heidenheim's current club has only been around since 2007 and were just promoted to the second division in 2014 for the first time. Bayern have won their previous 16 matches against second-tier opposition by a combined score of 52-5, an impressive accomplishment for any squad.
Manager Kovac previously faced off with Heidenheim last season while he was at the helm for Eintracht Frankfurt. Kovac's Frankfurt side narrowly defeated the second division side 2-1 after extra time en route to winning the competition. The manager has only ever lost one match in the cup to Dortmund in the 2017 final.
Recent Form
The Bavarians were on a roll prior to a 3-1 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16 in the middle of March. The club had climbed up the Bundesliga table to take over the top spot for the first time this season, but their most recent draw in Freiburg saw them fall back into second behind Dortmund. Bayern have won three, lost one and drawn one in their previous five matches in all competitions.
Heidenheim have not been in their best form over the past month winning just one match, losing two and drawing one in March.
Here's how each side have fared over their past five matches in all competitions:
Bayern | Heidenheim |
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SC Freiburg 1-1 Bayern (30/03) | FC Magdeburg 0-0 Heidenheim (29/03) |
Bayern 6-0 Mainz (17/03) | Heidenheim 2-1 Union Berlin (15/03) |
Bayern 1-3 Liverpool (13/03) | Vfl Bochum 1-0 Heidenheim (08/03) |
Bayern 6-0 Wolfsburg (09/03) | Heidenheim 1-2 Jahn Regensburg (02/03 |
Monchengladbach 1-5 Bayern (02/03) | Furth 0-0 Heidenheim (22/02) |
Prediction
It's hard to overlook Bayern's previous record against teams from the second division of German football, scoring over 10 times as much as they concede. The Bavarians are also looking for their ninth straight DFB Cup semi-final appearance and will not want to let this streak slip against a far inferior opponent.
Heidenheim have been respectable in the cup in recent years but Bayern provide a different kind of challenge for the small, relatively young club. They will sit in and try to frustrate the defending German champions in an organised defensive shape, but it will take a historic performance for the club to move on to their first ever semi-final.
Prediction: Bayern 4-0 Heidenheim