As the Europa Conference League returns this week, here’s our Heidenheim Vs Chelsea preview, prediction, team news and predicted lineups ahead of Thursday’s match.
Heidenheim Vs Chelsea Preview
Legendary Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt took over in 2007 and led the club to heights it could never have imagined.
Rising from the fifth tier of German football, Heidenheim reached the Bundesliga in 2023.
Their growth shows no signs of slowing, though. After an eighth-placed finish in their debut season, the club are now competing in Europe, and are about to host two-time Champions League winners Chelsea.
Heidenheim have won three from three so far in the competition, and sit sixth in the Conference League table. They have beaten Scottish side Hearts as well as NK Olimpija Ljubljana and Pafos FC.
Things are less positive in the Bundesliga this year, however. They are currently 15th in the table, with three wins from 11 games and just two points above the relegation play-off zone.
Winless in seven domestic games, Chelsea will pose possibly their toughest test yet.
Enzo Maresca’s side are top of the Conference League table, with a perfect record and a +13 goal difference in just three games.
The Blues are third in the Premier League, and have lost just two of their last 15 games in all competitions.
As the overwhelming favourites to win the competition, Chelsea so far look to be walking their way through the Conference League.
They beat FC Noah 8-0 and scored four goals in both their other wins against Panathinaikos and Gent.
We're off to Germany next! ✊🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/zLTbFVEdE3
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 26, 2024
Heidenheim Vs Chelsea Team News
Hosts Heidenheim lost their top scorer Marvin Pieringer in the defeat to Leverkusen. He will not be out until February with an Achilles issue.
He joins 20-year-old Luca Jens on the sidelines, whose shoulder injury has prevented him from playing at all so far this season.
Midfield duo Thomas Leon Keller and Julian Niehues are also yet to feature due to ongoing fitness problems.
For Chelsea, Portuguese winger Pedro Neto is hoping to overcome a knock picked up on international duty, having missed the weekend’s victory over Leicester City.
Reece James picked up yet another unfortunate injury blow. The England fullback is sidelined once more with a hamstring problem – the extent of which is not yet confirmed.
Right-back may prove a problem for Maresca, with Malo Gusto’s illness keeping him out of Saturday’s game.
Ahead of a busy festive schedule, it’s likely Chelsea will rotate their squad heavily, which could hand starts to the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo, Axel Disasi and Renato Veiga.
Heidenheim Vs Chelsea Predicted Lineups
Heidenheim (4-3-3): Muller; Traore, Manika, Gimber, Fohrenbach; Dorsch, Maloney, Schoppner; Conteh, Honsak, Wanner
Chelsea (4-5-1): Jorgensen; Disasi, Badiashile, Adarabioyo, Veiga; Caicedo, George, Nkunku, Felix, Mudryk; Guiu
Heidenheim Vs Chelsea Prediction
It’s been a fairytale rise through the leagues for FC Heidenheim. A win over European giants Chelsea would make for yet another remarkable chapter in their story, but the odds are firmly agaisnt them.
Despite likely resting the majority of their starters, we expect Maresca’s visiting Blues to come away with a comfortable victory.
Prediction: Heidenheim 0-3 Chelsea
