Hamburger SV narrowly missed direct promotion in the dramatic season finale of the 2nd Bundesliga. On the last day of the game, the Hanseatic League won 1-0 (1-0) against SV Sandhausen, who had already been relegated to the third division. However, 1. FC Heidenheim defended their place in promotion with a 3-2 (0-0) win at SSV Jahn Regensburg and will play in the Bundesliga for the first time next season. HSV has to go into the relegation again in third place and meets VfB Stuttgart in this. Click here for the results and table of the 2nd Bundesliga.
Jean-Luc Dompé (3rd minute) scored the decisive goal for Hamburg on Sunday. The majority of the 12,320 spectators in Sandhausen supported HSV, ensured a tingling atmosphere throughout the game and started the party with a storm on the final whistle. But that came too soon. While some HSV supporters were already cheering, Heidenheim was still playing – and turned the game around in Regensburg with two late goals in the 93rd and 99th minutes.
Some HSV supporters were already celebrating – but the game in Regensburg wasn’t over.
(Photo: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
With a volley under the bar, Dompé made the dream start from HSV’s point of view, which was then clearly the better team. However, Robert Glatzel (21st), Sebastian Schonlau (28th) and Sonny Kittel (45th + 2) failed to catch up. Instead, Sandhausen’s Janik Bachmann almost scored the equalizer out of nowhere (34′).
Hamburg’s Moritz Heyer hit the post four minutes after the break. After word got around that Heidenheim were 2-0 down, HSV largely stopped their offensive efforts. Shortly before the end, Glatzel missed the 2-0.
Heidenheim is promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time
1. FC Heidenheim, on the other hand, is promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time. Regensburg’s Benedikt Saller scored for the Heidenheimer with an own goal (58th minute), as well as Jan-Niklas Beste with a penalty (90th + 3) and second division top scorer Tim Kleindienst (90th + 9) in added time. Prince Osei Owusu (51st/57th) was successful for Jahn in front of 14,189 spectators.
The Heidenheimers started nervously against the Regensburgers, who were practically relegated before the match day. In the 8th minute, Jahn striker Owusu ran alone to Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Müller, who saved the guests from falling behind with a strong save. After that, the home side remained the more dangerous team.
Frank Schmidt has been a trainer in Heidenheim since 2007
After the change of sides, the Heidenheimers started with a lot of pressure. Stefan Schimmer, who came on as a substitute at half-time, missed a huge chance when he shot the ball wide of the goal from close range (47′). Then Owusu shocked Heidenheimer with his brace. In return, the Swabians scored the goal through their own goal. After that, the FCH increased the pressure and still managed to turn the game around in added time.
The Heidenheim success story is closely linked to two names in particular. The current chairman of the board, Holger Sanwald, was hired in 1994 as a department head at Heidenheimer SB, to which the footballers still belonged at the time. Frank Schmidt was an active player for the HSB before the footballers split off as a legally independent club in 2007 under the name 1. FC Heidenheim. After the end of his career, he took over the coaching position in the same year, first temporarily and then permanently.
Since promotion to the second division in 2014, Schmidt, who is now 49, and Sanwald, who is seven years his senior, have repeatedly managed to absorb the loss of top performers and to further establish FCH in the league. This season, striker Kleindienst was the best scorer in the league with 25 goals – and not only because of the decisive goal to make it 3-2 a factor in the promotion that is now certain.