- Koln are 14th in the Bundesliga, with 32 points from 32 games. Heidenheim are rock bottom of the table, on 23 points from 32 matches.
- 1. FC Koln have 1 win and 1 loss in their last two Bundesliga home matches. FC Heidenheim 1846 are winless in their last three on the road (D2, L1).
Go for Goals in a Tight Clash Between Strugglers
Since Rene Wagner took over as 1. FC Koln manager in March 2026, he’s brought structure, discipline and pragmatism to a side which were seemingly on the brink of imploding amid a chaotic mix of high pressing and disjointed build-up play.
Wagner’s team have won one, drawn three and lost one of their five Bundesliga fixtures since his appointment. They’ve continued to press in situational moments, but have been more balanced in their overall approach, and have been capable of some fluid attacking play and overloading opponents in wide areas when they manage to transition into the attacking third.
Koln’s results have been inconsistent, however. They drew 1-1 away at St. Pauli, lost 1-2 at home to Bayer Leverkusen and drew 2-2 away at Union Berlin in their last three. However, with the hosts scoring and conceding in each, and Heidenheim showing some attacking threat in their recent games, we fancy goals at both ends on Sunday.
Heidenheim Have the Goals to Make a Game of It
While Wagner has brought a new approach to Koln, FC Heidenheim 1846 have been a steady, if unimpressive outfit since long-serving coach Frank Schmidt took over. Heidenheim have been a deep, narrow defensive block since he took over, and a team built around counter-punching rather than possessing the ball.
Their recent form has been strong, winning two, drawing two and only losing one of their last five Bundesliga matches. They beat St. Pauli 2-0 at home and drew 3-3 at Bayern Munich away, showing they can hold their own against the best, and cause problems at the other end of the pitch.
Heidenheim sit at the bottom of the league table with just 23 points from 32. With a winless run of three (D2, L1) away from home, Heidenheim could do with some help from Koln, who could yet fall out of form ahead of this match.
Koln to Edge High-Scoring Tussle
The last meeting between these two sides finished 2-2 at Heidenheim, and Koln haven’t won either of their two Bundesliga meetings with their visitors.
Koln’s home record this season has been poor, winning just five of 16 Bundesliga games, but the odds for them to take all three points at 93/100 seems generous considering Heidenheim's poor away record. Over 2.5 goals and Both Teams to Score - Yes both come in at 11/25, and we’ll be siding with a high-scoring home victory on Sunday.
Koln’s leading scorer Said El Mala has scored 12 Bundesliga goals in 32 appearances this term, and can be relied on to be a constant threat. Heidenheim’s top scorer Budu Zivzivadze has hit six Bundesliga goals in 18 games, but has been in the form of his life recently, netting five times in his last five for Die Heidenheimer.
