Bundesliga Matchday 31 kicks off on Friday, April 25, with the opening fixture at the MHPArena between VfB Stuttgart and Heidenheim, two teams having seasons well below expectations. The home side are clinging to their last hopes of securing seventh place, which could potentially grant access to European competitions. However, it’s no easy task: Stuttgart currently sit in 11th place, six points off the European zone with just four games left in the Bundesliga. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß still has an ace up his sleeve—winning the DFB-Pokal final against third-division side Arminia Bielefeld on May 24 to secure a spot in next season’s UEFA Europa League. Heidenheim, on the other hand, are a shadow of the team that secured a place in the UEFA Conference League last season. They’re now third from bottom, just two points above the automatic relegation zone. Frank Schmidt’s squad must fight to maintain their position and aim for survival through the Bundesliga relegation playoff for the third consecutive year.

Stuttgart's Recent Form & Key Stats

Stuttgart are going through a rough patch, with just one win in their last nine Bundesliga matches (5 losses, 3 draws), the lone victory coming on April 5 against VfL Bochum.

Their most recent outing ended in a wild 4-4 draw away to Union Berlin—a historic match as it was the first in German top-flight history with all eight goals scored in the first half.

This poor run has distanced Hoeneß's men from the European zone, as they’ve collected just 41 points from 11 wins, 8 draws, and 11 losses. Stuttgart remain one of the most prolific attacking teams in the league, but they also concede heavily: 56 goals scored and 50 conceded, averaging 1.87 and 1.67 goals per game, respectively.

Heidenheim's Recent Form & Key Stats

Last time out, Heidenheim suffered their third straight league defeat, falling 4-0 at home to Bayern Munich. It was also the third consecutive match in which they failed to score, having also been blanked by Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt—though those were against the Bundesliga’s current top three.

With four matches to go, their league position is dire: 16th place with 22 points (6 wins, 4 draws, 20 losses), eight points from safety and just two above automatic relegation.

However, Heidenheim have shown some resilience on the road, earning 12 points away from home and losing only one of their last four Bundesliga away games (2 draws, 1 win, including a 1-0 victory at Wolfsburg).

Stuttgart vs Heidenheim Prediction and Tactical Overview

Despite their underwhelming season, Stuttgart remain one of the Bundesliga’s top scoring teams and will be eager to finish strong in front of their home fans—perhaps even pushing for seventh place and European qualification.

This match could serve as a confidence boost before their DFB-Pokal final against third-division Cinderella story Arminia Bielefeld on May 24.

Heidenheim, who have the third-worst defense in the Bundesliga, will try to contain the attacking threat of Stuttgart—who just put four past Union Berlin in 23 minutes. But the quality of Stuttgart could once again prove decisive, just as it did in the reverse fixture, which ended in a 3-1 victory for the Reds.

According to BetMines’ algorithm, the prediction for Stuttgart vs Heidenheim leans toward a home win. 

• BetMines Algorithm prediction for Stuttgart vs Heidenheim predicts the sign 1 at 58%
• BetMines Algorithm prediction for Stuttgart vs Heidenheim predicts the sign X at 21%
• BetMines Algorithm prediction for Stuttgart vs Heidenheim predicts the sign 2 at 22%

Stuttgart vs Heidenheim Predicted Lineups

Stuttgart (4-4-2): Nubel; Stergiou, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Millot, Karazor, Stiller, Fuhrich; Woltemade, Demirovic. Coach: Sebastian Hoeneß

Heidenheim (3-5-2): Muller; Mainka, Gimber, Siersleben; Traore, Dorsch, Schoppner, Beck, Kratzig; Conteh, Pieringer. Coach: Frank Schmidt