VfL Wolfsburg vs FC Heidenheim - Predictions, Stats & Odds
Bundesliga Statistics, AI predictions, (Expected) Lineups and Insights for Gameweek 18
Goals
Game Review
In a tightly contested Bundesliga encounter, VfL Wolfsburg and FC Heidenheim played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday, 17 January 2026. The result was somewhat unexpected given Wolfsburg's stronger position in the league, but Heidenheim's resilience ensured they left with a valuable point. The match began with both teams probing for weaknesses, but it was FC Heidenheim who struck first. Adrian Beck (GAP -3.0%) opened the scoring just before halftime in the 45th minute, giving the visitors a crucial lead. Wolfsburg, however, responded in the second half with increased intensity. Their efforts paid off when Moritz Jenz (GAP +0.2%) equalized in the 80th minute, ensuring the home side salvaged a point. Tactically, Wolfsburg's lineup featured several key players, including Christian Eriksen (GAP -2.0%) and Maximilian Arnold (GAP +1.6%), who were instrumental in controlling the midfield. The home team manager opted for a stable lineup with no changes from their previous match, indicating a strategy focused on consistency. FC Heidenheim, on the other hand, made several substitutions during the match, bringing in Omar Traoré, Leonidas Stergiou, Luca Kerber, Mikkel Kaufmann, and Stefan Schimmer to inject fresh energy into the side. These changes were part of a tactical adjustment to maintain their defensive structure and counter Wolfsburg's attacking threats. The draw leaves Wolfsburg in a stable mid-table position, while Heidenheim continues to fight for every point to climb the standings. Both teams will look to build on this performance in their upcoming fixtures, with Wolfsburg aiming to convert draws into wins and Heidenheim hoping to maintain their competitive edge against stronger opponents.
Lineups
VfL Wolfsburg
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| FWD | |
| FWD |
Substitutes
| 46' | Kevin Paredesfor Aaron Zehnter |
| 59' | Adam Daghimfor Lovro Majer |
| 70' | Jesper Grænge Lindstrømfor Yannick Gerhardt |
FC Heidenheim
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| FWD |
Substitutes
| 77' | Stefan Schimmerfor Adrian Beck |
| 77' | Leonidas Stergioufor Jonas Föhrenbach |
| 86' | Luca Kerberfor Niklas Dorsch |
| 86' | Mikkel Kaufmannfor Marvin Pieringer |
| 90' | Omar Traoréfor Mathias Honsak |
League Table after the game
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | VfL Wolfsburg | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 27 | 38 | -11 | 19 | W L L W D |
| 16 | FC Heidenheim | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 17 | 39 | -22 | 13 | L L D L D |
Last Games
Head-to-Head
Bundesliga
Gameweek 18
What is GAP?
What is Plus Minus Goals (G±)?
Plus Minus Goals (G±) is the average goal difference per game while the player was on the pitch. A value above 0 indicates that the team rather wins, a value below 0 means his team concedes more goals than they score when the player is on the pitch. As an example, if the player's team is winning 3:1 the goal difference is +2, if the player's team is loosing 0:1, the goal difference is -1. It is a pure metric which is barely adjusted for circumstances to purely show the goal difference.
What is GAP?
GAP (Game Advantage Percentage) shows the percentage gap between a player and the average league player. It answers the question: How much does a player improve or worsen a team's performance? It is based on high level game data with a focus on the impact on the goal difference (G±) from the last 50 games of a player. Besides that, GAP goes further and considers game context by involving data from the player and all other players who are at the same time on the pitch, no matter if teammates or opponents. Football GAP - the individual metric for team players.