The 1st FC Heidenheim has made the promotion fight in the second football Bundesliga really exciting again. The Baden-Württemberg won the top game against SV Darmstadt 98 with 1:0 (0:0) and shortened the distance to league leader Darmstadt to three points. In addition, Heidenheim inflicted the Lilies the first defeat since the start of the season and after 21 point games.
Darmstadt now leads with 49 points ahead of Hamburger SV (48) and Heidenheim (46). Jan-Niklas Beste (89th minute) scored the decisive goal on Saturday evening in front of 12,212 spectators in the Voith Arena. Heidenheim remains unbeaten at home this season.
The guests started energetically and with a lot of self-confidence. After a missed pass by Tim Siersleben, Phillip Tietz tested Heidenheim's goalkeeper Kevin Müller with a shot from 20 meters. The hosts needed something to find their way into the game. After 15 minutes it was a match with a lot of pace and intense duels. Patrick Mainka (21st) had the chance to bring his Heidenheimers into the lead.
As a result, the hosts gained a preponderance in midfield and pushed the league leader back into his own half. Darmstadt came in this phase only occasionally in front of the goal. A goal by Tietz (31.) was not recognized because of offside. On the other hand, the defense of the guests was secure, so there were hardly any opportunities.
After the restart, both teams initially neutralized each other. The first really good chance had the Ostwuerttemberg. But Darmstadt's final man Marcel Schuhen parried Jan Schöppner's (52nd) header magnificently. But shortly before the end, Beste scored the deserved lead for the hosts. The already warned Heidenheimer Dzenis Burnic conceded in the hectic injury time still the yellow-red card.