- Koln have won one, drawn three and lost one of their last five Bundesliga matches, drawing 1-1 at St. Pauli, losing 1-2 at home to Bayer Leverkusen and drawing 2-2 away at Union Berlin.
- FC Heidenheim have won two, drawn two and lost only one of their last five Bundesliga contests, beating St. Pauli 2-0 at home and drawing 3-3 at Bayern Munich.
Koln to make it two wins in a row
Koln, currently 14th in the Bundesliga with 32 points from 32 games, will be expected to take all three points against bottom-placed FC Heidenheim 1846 (23 points in as many matches) when the two teams face off at Koln’s home ground on Sunday.
Koln have one win and one loss in their last two Bundesliga home fixtures, and their recent league games include a 1-1 draw at St. Pauli and a 1-2 home loss to Bayer Leverkusen. Their home form is poor overall, winning only five, drawing four and losing seven of their 16 Bundesliga home matches, conceding 27 goals.
Rene Wagner, who took over the top job in March 2026, has made Koln a more structured and pragmatic unit than the chaotic pressing teams that often left them open at the back when his predecessor, Steffen Baumgart, was in charge.
Heidenheim’s away woes should give Koln the edge
Koln’s style of play is now less about forcing the action and more about being patient and creating numerical overloads in wide areas. However, despite Wagner’s more pragmatic approach, Koln still boast a top-level forward in Said El Mala, who can make things happen at the top of his game. El Mala has 12 Bundesliga goals in 32 appearances this season, making him a constant threat in the penalty area.
Heidenheim are equally stubborn, although long-serving manager Frank Schmidt has never shown any interest in dominating the ball. Heidenheim are a team with deep, narrow defensive blocks and a real knack of picking the ball off opponents and countering with pace and directness. They are very much the underdogs here, but they have the ability to nick a goal and cause problems for Koln’s defence.
Heidenheim’s defence has been very poor on their travels this season, with only one win in 16 Bundesliga away matches (D3, L12) and 34 goals conceded in the process. However, they have real firepower at their disposal. Budu Zivzivadze has six goals in 18 Bundesliga appearances this term and has scored five of those in his last five matches. Heidenheim’s recent matches have been entertaining, as a 2-0 win at home to mid-table St. Pauli was followed by a 3-3 draw away to Champions League-bound Bayern Munich.
Expect a goal-heavy encounter
Koln’s improvement under Wagner has been noticeable, but Heidenheim will pose a real threat in this fixture and we’re expecting a match with goals at both ends. Koln’s superior quality should see them through, however, so we’re tipping a home win with over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring.
The draw for the last game between these two sides finished 2-2 at Heidenheim, and Koln are winless in their past two Bundesliga clashes with their visitors.
Koln are favourites with the bookmakers at 1.93, but we think that looks slightly tight. Over 2.5 goals is coming in at 1.44 and Both Teams to Score - Yes is also 1.44, and we’re taking those prices in the knowledge that the hosts should be able to win a high-scoring match on Sunday.
