Leverkusen host Heidenheim after Benfica win, push for top-four

Bayer Leverkusen will look to build on midweek momentum when they host bottom‑placed Heidenheim at the BayArena on Saturday, a Bundesliga fixture that pits a club chasing a Champions League and top‑four push against a side fighting to climb out of the relegation zone. Leverkusen arrive after a 1-0 win at Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Heidenheim seek an end to a multi‑match winless run after earning a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.

Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand hailed his young side’s resilience after Patrik Schick’s second‑half header secured the victory in Lisbon. Hjulmand said the team showed character and talent despite fielding a particularly inexperienced lineup, noting they started with three 19‑year‑olds and only a handful of players with substantial European experience. Schick called the win important for team spirit and urged continuity. The result followed a 3-0 league defeat at Bayern Munich last weekend that halted Leverkusen’s four‑game domestic winning streak.

The win in Portugal put Leverkusen on five Champions League points after four matches and, domestically, they have collected 17 points from nine Bundesliga games,...