Heidenheim are already assured of a place in the play-offs for the UEFA Conference League knockout phase, but a spot in the top eight is still within reach as they host St. Gallen in their final game of the league phase on Thursday (kick-off: 9pm CET).

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Heidenheim know their maiden European campaign will extend into 2025, but the question remains whether they will go straight through to March’s round of 16 or need a two-legged play-off in February to get there. Three wins in their first three games laid the foundation for securing a place in at least the top 24 of the 36-team table with a match to spare. However, back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Basaksehir have left Frank Schmidt’s men in 15th, which is just two positions above the unseeded play-off berths but also still only one point shy of eighth. The Bundesliga side need to win here to be in with a chance of climbing enough places to crack the top eight. The form book doesn’t make pretty reading for Heidenheim, though, with Sunday’s 3-1 loss to VfB Stuttgart their seventh straight defeat in all competitions since beating Hearts in early November. However, Bayern Munich loanee Paul Wanner did end his scoring drought going back to the start of October in the 2-1 win over Olimpija Ljubljana. Schmidt does at least have no new injury concerns. He has rotated his side throughout this Conference League campaign and has options for this game ahead of the team’s final fixture of 2024 away at Bochum on Sunday.

A total of four points from five games currently has St. Gallen in an elimination place but only a point behind the play-off berths. The Swiss side’s one win came against bottom side Larne (2-1), while they also drew 2-2 with TSC. Otherwise they have lost to Cercle Brugge (6-2), Fiorentina (4-2) and Vitória (4-1). Under ex-Borussia Dortmund reserves and one-time FC Augsburg head coach Enrico Maaßen, who succeeded Bochum-bound Peter Zeidler in the summer, St. Gallen have reached the winter break in eighth place in the 12-team Swiss Super League, having won 2-0 away at Zürich on Sunday. Ex-Stuttgart and Paderborn forward Chadrac Akolo got the second off the bench. The club that boasts the status as the oldest football club in continental Europe have a few injury concerns in top scorer Willem Geubbels, captain Lukas Görtler and midfielder Mihailo Stevanovic.

Watch: Heidenheim - from the sixth tier to Europe

Match stats

• This is the first competitive meeting between Heidenheim and St. Gallen.
• Wanner, 18, is one of five Heidenheim goalscorers in the Conference League and is their top scorer in all competitions with six in 21 games.
• Heidenheim are one of three teams in the Conference League to have conceded at least three goals fewer than their expected goals against (six conceded from 9.1 xGA).
• St. Gallen’s record against German opposition is two wins, one draw and 13 defeats.
• The Swiss side have won only two of their 13 away games in the main stage of European competitions (D1, L10), although one was against Freiburg in 2001/02.
• Maaßen oversaw 44 games in charge of Augsburg, while Akolo, Stephan Ambrosius, Jozo Stanic, Chima Okoroji and Betim Fazliji have all previously played in the Bundesliga or Bundesliga 2.

Probable teams

Heidenheim: Müller - Traoré, Mainka (c), Gimber, Theuerkauf - Dorsch, Kerber - Beck, Wanner, Scienza - Honsak
Out: Keller (ineligible), Niehues (knee), Schimmer (ineligible), Thomalla (ineligible)
Doubtful: -
Coach: Frank Schmidt

St. Gallen: Ati Zigi - Vandermersch, Vallci, Diaby, Okoroji - Toma, Quintillà (c) - Faber, Witzig, Csoboth - Akolo 
Out: Geubbels (unknown), Konietzke (unknown), Nuhu (knee)
Doubtful: Görtler (unknown), Stevanovic (unknown)
Coach: Enrico Maaßen

LIVE blog!

VS

Heidenheim

Thu, 19.12 20:00

St. Gallen

Conference League
League phase, Matchday 6 League phase, Matchday 6 Voith Arena

Back in Germany

St. Gallen have former Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund reserves coach Enrico Maaßen in their dugout. The 40-year-old oversaw 44 games at the Augsburg helm between the summer of 2022 and October 2023.

© IMAGO/Sergio Brunetti

Conteh proud

Heidenheim's speed demon Sirlord Conteh is thrilled to be competing in Europe this term having made the jump up to his current club from previous side Paderborn. “It’s something special to be able to play in the Conference League," the 28-year-old said. "I played in the second division last season and now two dreams have come true: I can play in the Bundesliga and in Europe."

© IMAGO/Jan Huebner

It's game day!

Heidenheim are all set to complete their league phase adventure of this season's Conference League, with the compact Voith-Arena a sell-out for this evening's visit of St. Gallen.

© IMAGO/H. Langer/IMAGO/Langer

Schmidt's view on St. Gallen

"They've recently played in a 4-3-2-1 formation and have been very compact in the centre. Every player is ready to help the team through their commitment, willingness to cover ground in transition and by providing a goal threat at set pieces. It'll be interesting to see which team finds the better balance out on the pitch and who wins more duels at the back, in order to better take advantage of counter-attacks."

© Getty Images

Unlikely threat?

Heidenheim midfielder Adrian Beck is a player St. Gallen will have to keep an eye on. The 27-year-old has had more efforts on goal (12) than any of his teammates in the Conference League this season.

© Imago Images

Spot-kick experts

Heidenheim have converted all three penalties they have been awarded in the Bundesliga this season, a figure bettered only by Bayern Munich, who have five. Unlike Bayern, for whom Harry Kane is the designated taker, Frank Schmidt's side have rotated responsibility this season. Paul Wanner, Marvin Pieringer and Maximilian Breunig have all scored one each from the spot.

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Watch: The Bundesliga's fastest-ever player

Heidenheim have a not-so-secret weapon up their sleeve in the shape of attacker Sirlord Conteh, who set a new all-time Bundesliga speed record earlier this month when he became the first person in the league's history to hit 36.82km/h. Check out his lung-busting burst of pace in this video...

Stop the rot

Heidenheim will be desperate to get back on track after a difficult run of form. They have lost their previous seven games in all competitions, including to Chelsea and Hearts in this competition, while they have prevailed in only one of their last 10 fixtures.

© IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/Wolfgang Frank

History on Heidenheim's side

While this is the first meeting between these two teams, St. Gallen have plenty of experience against German outfits. However, they have won just two of their 16 such encounters, losing 13.

Heidenheim team news

Frank Schmidt has four absentees to deal with for this encounter. Denis Thomalla and Stefan Schimmer were not named in the Conference League squad at the start of the campaign and are therefore unavailable anyway, while Thomas Keller and Julian Niehues continue to recover from injuries.

© IMAGO/Markus Fischer

Familiar faces

Given Switzerland's close proximity to Germany, several of the visitors' squad have previously plied their trade in the Bundesliga, Bundesliga 2 and German lower divisions. Jovan Milošević, pictured, on loan from VfB Stuttgart, is amongst them.

© IMAGO

St. Gallen form

It has not been the best of seasons for the Swiss outfit. They have won just one of their past seven games in all competitions, and have amassed just four points in this term's Conference League. Much like Heidenheim, they need to win and wait on results elsewhere, although the best they can achieve is a play-off position.

State of play

With one match remaining of the league phase, Heidenheim have already secured their place in the knockout play-off - they are already five points above 25th in the table. However, to guarantee themselves a top-eight finish and automatic spot in the last 16, they will need to defeat St. Gallen and hope other results go their way as they sit one point adrift of eighth place with several teams also above them.

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Watch: Heidenheim 1-3 VfB Stuttgart - highlights

Heidenheim suffered a disappointing defeat in their last Bundesliga outing prior to this important European clash.

Welcome!

Thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of Heidenheim's sixth and final game of the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League's league phase at home to St. Gallen on Thursday.

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1. FC Heidenheim 1846

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