On Sunday evening, Signal Iduna Park stages a classic Bundesliga mismatch with very real consequences at both ends of the table. Borussia Dortmund, second in the standings with 42 points, welcome bottom‑placed 1. FC Heidenheim, who arrive in Dortmund clinging to survival hopes and burdened by a -25 goal difference. It is a clash between a side dreaming of reeling in the leaders and another simply desperate to stay in touch with the pack.
The mood could hardly be more contrasting. Dortmund’s form line of “WWWDW” underlines a side humming with confidence, unbeaten in 19 league outings and relentlessly consistent. Heidenheim’s “LDLDL” tells the opposite story: one win in their last five, too many narrow hopes dashed, and a defence conceding far too freely. Under the floodlights and in front of the Yellow Wall, this feels like a night where BVB can send a message in the title and Champions League race – and where Heidenheim must somehow defy the odds to keep their season alive.
Form Guide & Season Trends
Dortmund’s season has been built on a powerful blend of attacking fluency and defensive control. They sit second with 12 wins and just a single defeat from 19 matches, scoring 38 and conceding only 17. At home, Signal Iduna Park has become close to a fortress again: 7 wins and 2 draws from 9, 19 goals scored and just 6 conceded. On average, they are hitting 2.1 goals per home game while allowing only 0.7, and they have yet to fail to score in any league outing this season.
The minute‑by‑minute numbers paint the picture of a side that can hurt opponents at almost any moment, but especially before the break and in the closing stages. A remarkable 12 of their 38 league goals have come between the 31st and 45th minutes, with another 10 arriving from 76 to 90. That combination of late surges and strong first‑half spells means opponents rarely get to relax. Defensively, Dortmund are disciplined for long stretches, though there is a slight vulnerability late on: 7 of their 17 goals conceded have come in the final quarter of an hour.
For Heidenheim, the trends are starkly different. Rock bottom with 13 points from 19 games, they have lost 12 times, scoring only 17 and shipping 42. Away from home the picture is bleak: 1 win, 1 draw and 7 defeats in 9 away outings, with just 7 goals scored and 20 conceded. That is an average of 0.8 goals for and 2.2 against on the road – numbers that rarely lead to upsets in places like Dortmund.
They do at least carry a modest threat in the second half, with 4 goals between 46 and 60 minutes and 5 between 76 and 90, but the defensive frailty is relentless across the 90 minutes. Heidenheim have yet to keep a single clean sheet this season, home or away, and have failed to score in 7 of their 19 matches. Against a Dortmund side that has never drawn a blank, that imbalance looms large.
Head-to-Head History
While this is still a relatively new Bundesliga pairing, the recent head‑to‑head record leans clearly towards Dortmund – but with enough drama to keep everyone honest. The last meeting, in September 2025 at the Voith‑Arena, ended in a controlled 2–0 away win for BVB, a statement of their growing maturity on the road. Earlier in 2024–25, Dortmund also edged a 2–1 victory in Heidenheim, having led 1–0 at the break and holding their nerve late on.
Trips to Dortmund, however, have been far more chaotic for the visitors. In September 2024 at Signal Iduna Park, the hosts ran out 4–2 winners in a wild encounter, racing into a 3–1 half‑time lead and underlining the gulf in attacking firepower. Go back one season further, to September 2023 at BVB Stadion Dortmund, and you find the reminder that complacency is dangerous: Dortmund led 2–0 at the interval but somehow allowed Heidenheim to fight back for a 2–2 draw.
Across these last five meetings in the Bundesliga, Dortmund have three wins, one draw and one stalemate in Heidenheim. The trend is clear: BVB usually find a way, and often with goals. Four of the five clashes have featured at least two goals, and the two most recent games in Dortmund have produced 6 and 4 goals respectively. History suggests that when these two meet under the Yellow Wall, the net tends to bulge.
Team News & Key Men
Dortmund do have a couple of notable absences to manage. Midfield leader M. Sabitzer is ruled out with a calf injury, depriving BVB of a key link between defence and attack and a player who often dictates the tempo. At the back, N. Sule misses out with a back injury, removing one of the squad’s most experienced central defenders. F. Mane is listed as questionable with an unspecified injury, adding a further note of uncertainty to Edin Terzić’s selection options.
Even so, the attacking burden will be shared by an in‑form frontline. Three Dortmund forwards sit among the Bundesliga’s better performers this season. M. Beier has 6 goals and 2 assists from 17 appearances, his 13 shots on target from 19 attempts underlining a clinical edge. S. Guirassy also has 6 league goals and 1 assist, leading the line with physical presence and drawing 21 fouls as a constant nuisance to defenders. K. Adeyemi, likewise on 6 goals and 1 assist, brings direct running and unpredictability from wide areas, with 14 key passes and a willingness to take on his man.
For Heidenheim, the challenge is compounded by a lengthy list of absentees. C. Conteh, F. Feller, L. Paqarada and B. Zivzivadze are all ruled out, removing depth in several areas. Perhaps most damaging is the suspension of B. Gimber through yellow‑card accumulation, stripping the visitors of an important defensive presence and organiser. There are further doubts over S. Conteh and M. Kaufmann, both questionable due to illness. For a squad already stretched by a relegation battle, it is a difficult backdrop ahead of one of their toughest away days of the season.
The Verdict
All the indicators point in one direction. Dortmund are unbeaten, ruthless at home and averaging more than two goals a game, while Heidenheim are leaking 2.2 goals per match and have yet to keep a clean sheet. Expect BVB to dominate possession, press high and look to strike in those familiar spells before half‑time and in the final quarter. Heidenheim’s best hope lies in set‑pieces and late counters, but with confidence low and key players missing, this has the feel of a one‑sided encounter. Dortmund look likely to win with something to spare, reinforcing their title credentials and deepening Heidenheim’s relegation worries.
