Tim Kleindienst shot 1. FC Heidenheim to the top of the league. The striker decided the chasing duel with Fortuna Düsseldorf on Friday evening with his winning goal to make it 2-1 (1-0). At least until Saturday, the Heidenheimers will take the lead in the standings. Fortuna could have taken first place with a threesome. The defeat keeps coach Daniel Thioune’s team in fifth place.
In an intense game, Heidenheim took the lead through Adrian Beck (22′) before Dawid Kownacki made it 1-1 in the 59th minute. Düsseldorf put pressure on, but the goal came for Heidenheim through Kleindienst (87th). Kownacki missed the early lead for the guests after 15 minutes. Things went better for Beck on the other side. After a header from Kleindienst, he steered the ball over the line.
After the change of sides, the midfielder remained the most conspicuous Heidenheimer. But once he failed on the crossbar (56th) and only two minutes later Fortuna goalkeeper Florian Kastenmeier stood in the way of the 2-0. So Düsseldorf could continue to hope for a point – especially after Kownacki’s equalizer. Fortuna was more active in the final phase, but Kleindienst took advantage of one of the few chances and secured Heidenheim’s fourth win of the season.
Brunswick wins
Eintracht Braunschweig has won a league game for the first time this season. Thanks to a significant increase in performance, the previous bottom of the table defeated the promotion candidate 1. FC Nürnberg 4: 2 (2: 2) and now travels with new self-confidence to the Lower Saxony derby next weekend at Hannover 96.
The Braunschweiger were inferior to the strong guests in the first half like no other opponent in the course of the season so far. FCN deservedly took the lead twice through Jens Castrop (10th minute) and Kwadwo Duah (29th). Eintracht only came back twice due to carelessness in Nuremberg when Fabio Kaufmann (13th) and Anthony Ujah (44th) counterattacked.
However, the first goal by Ujah, who came from Union Berlin, since June 2020 was a turning point in front of 17,173 spectators. In the second half, Braunschweig suddenly turned up the heat and scored within just three minutes with a dream goal from Immanuel Pherai (59th) and the second goal from the strong Kaufmann (62nd). “It’s hard to find an explanation for what happened, said Nuremberg goalkeeper Mathenia after the game. “I’ve had a bad day too. In the second half we missed getting second division football on the plate. We were no longer there. These things happen to us on a regular basis.”
Even after the two goals, the promoted team only allowed Nuremberg to have a few chances in the last ten minutes. The defenders Nathan de Medina (Arminia Bielefeld) and Filip Benkovic (Udinese Calcio), who were only signed the day before, were part of the starting XI and stabilized the vulnerable defense, especially with high balls.
