After a deficit of 0:2: Kleindienst shoots Heidenheim to the top against KSC

As of: 03/17/2023 9:03 p.m

1. FC Heidenheim ended Karlsruher SC’s winning streak and won well from behind. Tim Kleindienst shot his team to the top of the table, at least temporarily, with three goals.

In the southwest duel of the 2nd Bundesliga, 1. FC Heidenheim won 5:2 (2:2) against in-form Karlsruhe after a 2-0 deficit. With the victory, Frank Schmidt’s team climbed to the top of the table in the 2nd Bundesliga, at least overnight.

In an entertaining first half, Leon Jensen put Badener in the lead in the 14th minute, Mikkel Kaufmann increased it to 2:0 in the 23rd minute. But then Heidenheim’s top scorer Tim Kleindienst turned up the heat and brought his team back into the game with a brace before half-time (38′, 45’+1). After the break, the 27-year-old headed in and scored to make it 3-2 (49′). Florian Pick and Kevin Sessa made it 5-2 (62nd, 88th).

Jensen hits the early KSC leadership

Compared to the 1-1 draw at Fortuna Düsseldorf, Heidenheim’s coach Schmidt made two changes to his team. Marnon Busch and Christian Kühlwetter started for Denis Thomalla and Norman Theuerkauf (bank), who were suspended in red. KSC coach Christian Eichner relied on the same starting formation as in the furious 4:2 home triumph against HSV.

In a confused initial phase, both teams showed small wobbles. On the Heidenheim side, they almost gave Karlsruhe an early lead in the seventh minute: Because FCH defender Tim Siersleben let Fabian Schleusener take the ball in his own sixteen, Kaufmann was free to shoot on the edge of five, but only hit his chest Goalkeeper Kevin Mueller.

In the 14th minute, Kaufmann failed again from close range at the Heidenheim goalkeeper. But the second ball landed at Jensen, whose deflected shot from around 14 meters went down on the left to give Karlsruhe a 1-0 lead.

Kaufmann increases to 2:0

Heidenheim, unbeaten in front of their own crowd, continued to struggle after the early goal and rarely came close to the goal. KSC, on the other hand, with five wins in a row recently, created some good chances. Schleusener captured the ball in the 23rd minute and passed it on to Paul Nebel. The right winger crossed the penalty area for the unsupervised businessman, who only had to insert his right inner instep from twelve yards out – 2-0 for KSC.

Kleindienst brings Heidenheim back into play

After a good half hour, however, the hosts from the Ostalb gradually found their way into the game and Kleindienst took advantage of his team’s first notable chance: After a pass from Pick, the scorer simply took aim from a half-right position from 18 meters and scored the 1: 2 goal (38th). And before the break, the best home team in the league followed suit: Kleindienst scored his 17th goal of the season to equalize 2-2 in added time (45+1).

Kleindienst, Pick and Sessa shoot Heidenheim to the top of the table

While KSC coach Eichner did not make any changes during the break, Schmidt sent two fresh players onto the field in Stefan Schimmer and Sessa. The FCH now pushed the pace further. KSC keeper Gersbeck was able to direct Jan-Niklas Beste’s long-range shot to the crossbar, but Torgarant Kleindienst used the corner kick that was due to score his third goal and scored with a header to give Heidenheim a 3-2 lead (49th).

The hosts from the Alb really turned up the heat and hardly gave the Karlsruher a chance to play. After a good hour, the Heidenheimer Schlossberg turned into a madhouse when Pick scored 4: 2. The two-time assist provider appeared in the offensive center directly in front of the opposing defensive line and chased the ball from 20 meters with the left instep into the half-high right corner. Almost nothing was to be seen from the KSC. Instead, Heidenheim’s substitute Sessa made it 5-2 with his remarkable goal.

With the win, 1. FC Heidenheim jumps to the top of the table, at least until Saturday. Then both Darmstadt (against FCK) and HSV (against Kiel) have the chance to overtake the Schmidt team again. The KSC is in eighth place in the table.

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