Conference League: Weak Heidenheim loses in Istanbul

After their worst performance in this competition, 1. FC Heidenheim suffered their second defeat in the Conference League, losing at Basaksehir Istanbul.

FCH lost 1:3 (0:2) on Thursday (December 12, 2024) after a weak performance, especially in the first half. Coach Frank Schmidt’s team had previously won three of four European Cup games and lost alone against Chelsea FC.

Honsak scores for Heidenheim in Istanbul

In Istanbul, the Bundesliga club fell behind early on thanks to goals from Deniz Türüc (6th minute) and Miguel Crespo (18th). Mathias Honsak was able to shorten the score in the meantime (61′), but shortly before the final phase, ex-Hertha professional Krzysztof Piatek scored to make the final score 3-1 from Basaksehir’s perspective.

“We were demonstrated from the first to the last second,” said FCH coach Schmidt after the game on the RTL microphone: “We simply didn’t have the heart to win a game. I’m very disappointed that we “We didn’t bring that passion and emotion to the field.”

As has happened so often this season, Schmidt rotated his starting eleven heavily after a Bundesliga and a European Cup game. The two frequent players Kevin Müller and Patrick Mainka had not even made the trip to Turkey, compared to 2:4 in the league at FC Bayern There were also five more changes. Only Tim Siersleben, Luca Kerber, Lennard Maloney and Paul Wanner started again. Vitus Eicher stood in goal for Müller.

Scienza gets its first chance early

The Heidenheimers started bravely and recorded the first offensive action of the game: After a minute and a half, Leo Scienza fired the first shot at the opponent’s goal, which Basaksehir keeper Muhammed Sengezer defused in the follow-up. Anyone who thought the guests had gotten into the game early was soon proven wrong.

Within just twelve minutes, Basaksehir scored a double blow to take a quick 2-0 lead: The first goal by Türüc resulted from a Wanner loss of the ball in midfield and a cross pass from Piatek (6th) through the entire Heidenheim penalty area, making it 2-0 Crespo benefited from an Eicher rebound (18th).

Early double substitution: Wanner and Breunig out after 30 minutes

The guests from Ostalb then tried to collect themselves and stabilize themselves – but little to nothing came together in this phase, especially going forward. Schmidt responded with a double substitution (!) after exactly 30 minutes: Wanner and Maximilian Breunig had to go down, but Mathias Honsak and Jan Schöppner came into the game. It was also Schöppner who had Heidenheim’s best chance of the first half ten minutes later: his header, however, landed on the crossbar (40′).

FCH had its strongest phase in the first few minutes after the break. Driven by a fiery Honsak, the defense was initially a little better and the Schmidt team were more effective in the duels. The reward: the follow-up goal by substitute Honsak, who moved quickly into the penalty area from the right side after a Scienza corner and made it 1-2 in the 61st minute.

Maloney substituted after collision

A short time later, however, the Heidenheimers had to cope with the next two setbacks. First Maloney had to be replaced – presumably injured – before he and Piatek had collided heads (61′). Shortly afterwards Piatek scored to make it 3-1 for Basaksehir (68′) – which was the club from Baden-Württemberg’s second European Cup defeat was sealed.

1. FC Heidenheim will play against VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga next Sunday (December 15, 2024, 3:30 p.m.). The next home game in the Conference League is on December 19th against FC St. Gallen.

Broadcast on Friday, December 13th, 2024 at 6:00 a.m., SWR Aktuell in the morning, SWR Aktuell