HEIDENHEIM, Germany — Tonight, Heidenheim, currently sitting in 16th place, will face Bochum, who are at the bottom of the table. This clash between the 16th and 18th teams has historically favored the higher-ranked side, with past encounters on the 32nd matchday seeing the better-positioned team winning each time.
In the 2017/18 season, Freiburg overcame Köln (3:2), while in the 1990/91 season, it was 1. FC Köln beating Schalke (4:2). Additionally, in 1966/67, Schalke triumphed over Düsseldorf (2:1). However, this time, Bochum is a tough opponent for Heidenheim, as they have never defeated them in the Bundesliga. Previous encounters in the 2. Bundesliga have resulted in eight losses for Heidenheim against Bochum, more than any other team.
Despite being close to securing their place in the league, Heidenheim’s struggles are apparent, particularly in their scoring. They have only managed to score 26 goals so far this season, a fact that leaves them in a precarious position, despite having only conceded 36 goals. To put this into perspective, only once in the history of league play did a promoted team have fewer goals and still manage to sit mid-table. The result has been a total of just 62 goals scored in games involving St. Pauli, showcasing a trend of low-scoring matches.
The gap between the relegation playoff spot and the 10th position, which is currently held by 1. FC Nürnberg, is just five points. This is an unprecedented statistic; since the league expanded to 18 teams in 1994/95, no season has seen less than eight points separating these ranks at this stage. Last season, for example, the difference was more than three times greater.
In other matches, there were noticeable performances over the weekend. A noteworthy semifinal saw at least six goals for only the fourth time in the 21st century. Previously, such instances occurred in 2021/22 between Manchester City and another team, as well as two matches in 2017/18 that recorded six goals in both fixtures.
This weekend also marks a top match in the 3rd Liga as two top teams, Dresden and Bielefeld, face off. Both teams are known for their aggressive attacking, with Dresden taking 17.5 shots and Bielefeld 16.5 per match. Should Dynamo win, they will celebrate their fifth promotion to the 2. Liga, equalizing with teams like Bielefeld.
