Heidenheim clings to hope, shaking off a last-minute disappointment from Munich to win in Cologne. A three-way battle for survival now awaits on the final matchday.
Coach Frank Schmidt flashed a brief smile after the vital victory, then rallied his 1. FC Heidenheim squad for the showdown to stay in the league. Nothing is won yet, but the underdog from Ostalb, once written off, now hopes more than ever to remain in the Bundesliga. With a hard-fought 3-1 (1-1) victory at 1. FC Köln, Heidenheim has set up a season finale that’s hard to beat for sheer excitement.
For the first time since matchday 18, FCH is no longer at the bottom of the table. The three points in the cathedral city allowed Schmidt’s team to hand over the «red lantern» to FC St. Pauli. Heidenheim is now level on points with the Hamburg side and VfL Wolfsburg. A win against FSV Mainz 05 next Saturday (3:30 PM/Sky) could see them reach the relegation play-off spot, depending on the outcome of the match between St. Pauli and Wolfsburg.
«It’s truly unbelievable. Before Easter, nobody bet a cent on us,» said managing director Holger Sanwald, adding, «Internally, we always believed we could do it.»
Jan Schöppner Scores Brace: «We Still Need a Lot»
A brace from Jan Schöppner (8th/72nd minute) and an own goal by Cologne defender Kristoffer Lund (28th minute) keep FCH’s hopes alive for a fourth Bundesliga season. Despite a largely dominant performance, Cologne was too inefficient. Marius Bülter’s equalizer was not enough (10th minute).
«We are dependent on the results of others, but we have been for a while. We need luck; we still need a lot,» Sanwald explained.
The repeated slip-ups by St. Pauli and Wolfsburg had kept the possibility of salvation open for FCH. Coach Schmidt demanded a win in Cologne, stating that «anything is possible» on the final day.
Schmidt Makes Goalkeeping Change: Frank Feller Replaces BVB Loanee Ramaj
The start was successful. After an error in Cologne’s build-up play, the advanced Schöppner headed in. The hosts, who had mathematically secured their league status on Saturday while watching from their couches, reacted promptly.
Initially, Sebastian Sebulonsen missed the equalizer. After a quick restart and less than 30 seconds later, Bülter fired the ball under the crossbar from a tight angle. FCH keeper Frank Feller, whom Schmidt surprisingly trusted over regular goalkeeper Diant Ramaj, was helpless.
After that, Cologne was more dominant but inadvertently helped Heidenheim back on track. As FC defender Lund attempted to clear Arijon Ibrahimovic’s shot just before the line, his intended clearance ended up in his own net.
After the break, Heidenheim effectively contained the FC attack with great effort and created promising counter-attacking opportunities. Schöppner initially missed the chance to seal the win and a potential decisive advantage from ten meters (62nd minute). Ten minutes later, he made no mistake, slotting the ball in with composure.