Still winless in the new campaign, Heidenheim will hope to win their first points when they host Borussia Dortmund in Round 3 of the Bundesliga.
Heidenheim's season start hints towards a season full of struggles, after the team barely survived the previous campaign. FCH booked another season in the top flight through the playoffs, where they beat Elversberg. But their somewhat good form from the end of the campaign is clearly gone, as they lost 1-3 to Wolfsburg and 2-0 to RB Leipzig in the first two rounds, with barely a combined 1.72 xG.
Borussia Dortmund had a shaky start, allowing St Pauli to come back from 3-1 to 3-3 within four minutes, but showed their true potential against Union Berlin in the second round. Niko Kovac is slowly but steadily turning BVB into a goal-scoring machine, as the team boasts several impressive streaks.
No team has won more Bundesliga points than Dortmund since March, with the team being on a 10-match unbeaten streak (8W, 2D). But the more impressive stat is related to the number of goals they've scored. Dortmund have scored 3+ goals in seven consecutive Bundesliga fixtures, and Heidenheim's defensive struggles suggest a possible extension of said streak.
How the bookies view it: Unsurprising away advantage
The odds won't surprise you. Heidenheim are in their usual position as underdogs, available at 17/4. Borussia Dortmund are a strong betting favourite at 11/20, while the draw is available at 7/2.
Recent head to head: BVB remain undefeated
This is Heidenheim's third season in the elite, but they remain winless against Borussia Dortmund, although they found some success in their debut season, going level twice. But last season was a completely different story, with BVB winning 4-2 at home and 2-1 away.
Players to watch: Sabitzer-Guirassy masterclass
Serhou Guirassy's first season at Dortmund was a success, as the 29-year-old scored 21 goals in the Bundesliga and 13 in the Champions League. He also netted four times during the FIFA Club World Cup this summer, before kicking off the new season with four goals in three games.
Additionally, we'd also focus our attention on Marcel Sabitzer, who had a brilliant international break. The 31-year-old won Austria six points with his two goals, so he is already looking at a much more successful campaign than the last few. Watch out for him against Heidenheim.
Probable line-ups
Heidenheim: Ramaj, Gimber, Mainka, Fohrenbach, Busch, Dorsch, Scienza, Ibrahimovic, Honsak, Kaufmann
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Couto, Bensebaini, Anton, Anselmino, Bellingham, Svensson, Sabitzer, Beier, Brandt, Guirassy
Anything else catch the eye?
While Dortmund are levels above Heidenheim by all accounts, last season's defensive vulnerabilities have not been fixed yet, as the trip to St Pauli showed. We definitely expect them to win on Saturday, but it will not be as straightforward as the odds suggest.
We expect Heidenheim to find the net at least once, having scored five goals in four Bundesliga H2Hs in the last two years. And Dortmund haven't kept a clean sheet away from home since March. The odds will never be great for a Bundesliga fixture of this sort, but combining the goal markets with an FT result makes a huge difference.
GambleAware