A historic comeback is still possible
Heidenheim’s Schmidt “really looking forward to the season finale” – Bundesliga’s most in-form team
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1. FC Heidenheim refuse to give up. Written off after 30 matchdays, Frank Schmidt’s side earned a decisive 3-1 win at 1. FC Köln, setting up a season finale at home against Mainz 05 on Saturday. “I told the team: if we manage to win here against Köln, then we’ll be really fired up for the final match. We have the chance to play in the Bundesliga next season,” said the coach. It would be a remarkable comeback.
Tension until the very end
With just 19 points from 30 games, Heidenheim faced relegation rivals FC St. Pauli on matchday 31, trailing them by seven points. A defeat would have confirmed their relegation after three years in the top flight. “It was an almost hopeless situation. I even said it was incredibly hard to believe, after so many winless games, that we could still stay up,” Schmidt explained.
In Bundesliga history, 18 teams had 19 points or fewer after 30 matchdays – and all were relegated.
Heidenheim beat St. Pauli 2-0, then drew 3-3 at champions Bayern Munich in spectacular fashion, only to see victory snatched away in the dying seconds. After last weekend’s 3-1 win over Köln, Heidenheim have overtaken St. Pauli. Over the past three weeks, they have been the league’s most in-form team.
On the final matchday, the relegation showdown at the Millerntor pits St. Pauli against Wolfsburg – both on 26 points, just like Heidenheim. Wolfsburg currently occupy the relegation playoff spot. Heidenheim must beat Mainz to take that place. A draw, or a St. Pauli win with the same margin as Heidenheim, would send them into the playoff.
Many experts, including Lothar Matthäus, gave Heidenheim little chance of survival. “Lothar said yesterday: Wolfsburg 60% chance, Pauli 30%, us 10%. I would never contradict Lothar, but 10% is 1000% more than a few weeks ago. We believe in it,” Schmidt said with a smile.
