The small East Alb club 1. FC Heidenheim is sensational in the Bundesliga. Coach Frank Schmidt’s team managed to win 3-2 (0-0) at relegated Jahn Regensburg on Sunday (28.05.23) and secured the championship in league two.
A double strike from Prince Owusu (51′, 57′) put Jahn in front. an own goal by Benedikt Saller quickly brought the guests back (58th) and kept Heidenheim in the running. Jan-Niklas Beste converted a penalty kick for the guests in added time (90.+3). Eleven minutes of added time gave the guests the win: Tim Kleindienst scored the acclaimed goal in the ninth minute of added time, which brought Heidenheim the championship and straight into the Bundesliga. Hamburger SV now have it on June 1st and 5th with the Bundesliga-16. to do VfB. Regensburg, on the other hand, has to play in the 3rd division in the new season.
“The 2-0 is actually the knockout”said trainer Frank Schmidt on the sports show microphone, “You don’t believe that a team will come back. But we do. Because we have great people who never give up.” “When you see the opponents we bravely play against – Heidenheim is rightly at the top – then it’s symptomatic that we’re still losing this game.”said a frustrated Steve Breitkreuz to ARD after the poll.
Strong Heidenheim start
In the second minute of the game, Tim Kleindienst had the first opportunity to lead the guests after a corner. But the top scorer (25 goals) in league two missed. The hosts created the first really good chance to score: Leon Guwara served Prince Owusu steeply, but he was denied by HDH keeper Kevin Müller from about eleven meters away from the goal (10′).
After half an hour, Kleindienst was unlucky when his low shot narrowly missed the left post when Heidenheim had the greatest chance.
Game picks up speed in the second section
After the goalless first 45 minutes, which referee Sören Storks interrupted for a drink because of the summer temperatures in the Upper Palatinate, the players gathered in the dressing room. And especially Jahn started in the second part of the game like someone who still has a chance of staying in the league – but at that point this was only mathematically possible.
After a corner by Konrad Faber from the right, Owusu made it 1-0 with a header and then increased when he knowingly and skilfully deflected a low shot from Saller into the goal that was untenable for Müller. When the goal came back, Saller unluckily deflected a shot from Stefan Schimmer into his own goal.
Heidenheim’s coach Frank Schmidt
Injuries weaken Heidenheim
Heidenheim struggled, had to replace two players due to injury, first Florian Pick and later Lennard Maloney. But the hosts held back and had more of the game. However, the guests absolutely wanted direct promotion: In the 86th minute, the young Regensburg keeper Jonas Urbig made a sensational save against namesake Föhrenbach after he had previously climbed up heartily from a free-kick cross from the half-field.
Eleven minutes of stoppage time, then penalties, then victory
The fourth official announced eleven minutes of stoppage time because of the injury breaks and the drinking break – and then Steve Breitkreuz found Patrick Meinka in a defensive attempt. Betse converted the important penalty in the fight for promotion to the upper house on the top right – untenable.
Regensburg kept going forward, but Kleindienst finally gave the visitors the lead after ten minutes of added time. It got turbulent, a red card against Jan Elvedi was withdrawn after video evidence – then 1. FC Heidenheim cheered. After 105 minutes played.
DFL congratulates Heidenheim
The German Football League (DFL) headed by Hans-Joachim Watzke congratulated 1. FC Heidenheim on being promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time. “With 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 we welcome the 57th Bundesliga member since the premiere in the 1963/64 season. Congratulations to the club management, the team, the coaching staff and the fans.”said Watzke as spokesman for the DFL Presidium.