Heidenheim — Werder Bremen : Match Preview and Prediction for October 18,2025

Heidenheim’s Season Start

Heidenheim’s start to this Bundesliga season has been extremely disappointing, with five losses in their last six matches. Naturally, Frank Schmidt is facing criticism, but the team is also grappling with squad issues and a lack of depth. Their debut season, securing an 8th-place finish and a Conference League spot, now feels like a fortunate but distant and irrelevant memory.

Current Standings and Team News

Currently, after a narrow 0-1 away defeat to Stuttgart in a tough encounter, the ‘red and blues’ find themselves at the bottom of the table after six rounds, conceding nearly two goals per game on average. It remains to be seen if the hosts can delight their fans in this upcoming match, though their injury list has slightly shortened. Pieringer, Conteh, Pakarada, Feller, and Beck will miss the game against the ‘Musicians’ (Werder Bremen).

Werder Bremen’s Recent Form

A couple of seasons ago, Werder Bremen finished 9th, missing out on the Conference League after Heidenheim advanced based on additional criteria. Since then, the ‘red and blues’ (Heidenheim) have experienced a more rapid decline, while the ‘Musicians’ (Werder Bremen) have managed to maintain their status as a Bundesliga mid-table team.

Coaching Changes and Defensive Struggles

However, this season promises to be challenging, as Ole Werner departed for Leipzig after four seasons at the club, and the team has been significantly unsettled under Horst Steffen. The ‘white and greens’ have conceded even more goals than Heidenheim (14 in 6 rounds), yet their attack, featuring Boniface and Mbangula, somewhat compensates for defensive errors.

Recent Match Outcomes and Player Concerns

After suffering a 0-3 home defeat to Freiburg and a 0-4 thrashing from Bayern in Munich, Werder managed to head into the international break on a positive note, securing a 1-0 home victory against St. Pauli with an early Mbangula goal in the second minute. However, it remains to be seen how the Bremen side will perform after the break, especially given their current squad issues.

Werder Bremen’s Injury List

Against Heidenheim, the visiting team will be without Agu, Deman, Schmidt, Stark, Weiser, and Weber, while Stage, Malatini, and Backhaus are all listed as questionable. Losing half the squad is certainly a significant setback.