It was just 16 months ago that 1. FC Heidenheim was top of the Bundesliga table after two match days on September 1, 2024 – ahead of the chronic champion from Munich, who had also won the first two matches of the 2024/25 season, but had the worse goal difference compared to the smallest Bundesliga club from the Ostalb.
Since then, there has only been one league leader on 47 match days: the record champions FC Bayern. It was almost 20 months ago that the fearless Swabians defeated the great Bayern on April 6, 2024 after a 2-0 deficit 3-2 in their small, narrow stadium on the Schlossberg. So why should they be anxious about seeing each other again on the last Bundesliga matchday of this year?
“We have to try the impossible”
Brave as always, Heidenheim’s long-term coach Frank Schmidt formulated a small declaration of war before the rendezvous with the German football giants early on Sunday evening: “It is virtually impossible to beat Bayern, but we have to try the impossible in order to achieve the possible.” Because: “There are those days against Bayern (…) when you get your foot in the door.”
So this time on the cold Ostalb there was an unexpected Christmas present on the fourth Advent? The league’s sovereign, nine points ahead of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table, had to do without luminaries such as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (torn hamstring), midfield strategist Joshua Kimmich (ankle problems), central defender Kim (knee problems), full-back Konrad Laimer, who was suspended after five yellow cards, and the sick Tom Bischof, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Sacha Boey.
However, it was still well-staffed enough to be able to complete the last compulsory task of the 2025 football year without any problems. Six youth players sat on the bench – a new Bayern record in a Bundesliga game – alongside tried and tested professionals such as Serge Gnabry, Alphonso Davies and Sven Ulreich.
From the start, you saw how determined the Bayern stars were to determine the unequal duel – with the firm intention of deciding the game early. And that’s how it happened with the last win of the year, which was extremely clear at 4-0 and gave Munich the so-called “Autumn Championship”.
The course of the game offered no reason for daydreams
After just a quarter of an hour, the Heidenheim defensive block was powerless when Tah’s header assist after Olise’s corner kick landed at Stanišić, who also headed the ball into the net from close range to make it 1-0 (15th minute). Only then did the Heidenheimers dare to move forward without causing any damage.
Bayern, on the other hand, rewarded themselves once again for their determination before the break. A shot deflected by Heidenheim’s captain Mainka from Itō was served to the eager Olise, who easily took advantage of the opportunity to make it 2-0 in front of the Heidenheim goal (32′). This meant that the unequal encounter between the seventeenth-placed side and the first-placed side in the table, who determined the course of events with over seventy percent possession of the ball, was as good as decided after around half an hour.
The qualitative difference was too great for an unexpected turnaround to be considered possible. Undaunted Heidenheim fans would like to remember April 6, 2024, when FCH turned a 0-2 halftime lead into a magical 3-2 win over Bayern. But the course of the game on Sunday evening offered no reason for daydreams until then.
At least Schmidt now did something for the hitherto lame offensive by replacing Bayern loanee Ibrahimović for the ineffective Kerber and attacker Schimmer for Honsak. He immediately registered a header against the crossbar of the Munich goal (55th).
Speaking of strikers: Harry Kane, who was also asked to be captain this time (“I was proud to lead the team”), had not yet opened his sights as Bundesliga top scorer with 18 goals so far. Only a shot that landed on the post (53′) indicated that the English world-class striker was a goal threat.
The prospects for Bayern remain masterful
As it was, the Heidenheimers fought much more determinedly than in the first half for the next goal, which Ibrahimović narrowly missed with his shot just over the goal (68th). Heidenheim not only defended himself, but also gained new respect offensively. And Schimmer’s second shot on goal would have almost made it 1:2 had the famous Neuer representative Urbig not been there to save the day (78′).
With his goal to make it 3-0 (87th), Luis Díaz removed the last doubts about a success at the end of the year that was almost never in danger. Christmas can come. The Munich team, nine points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, were already “fall champions” of the league on matchday 15, and also sent clear signals towards the championship in Heidenheim – especially since Kane also scored his obligatory goal for the 4-0 victory in stoppage time (90th + 2).
From Bayern’s perspective, the prospects for 2026 remain excellent. Right-back Josip Stanišić, who was also celebrated as a goalscorer this time, said at the end of the year: “In the Bundesliga we always go to our maximum. I hope that it continues like this in 2026.”
His coach Vincent Kompany didn’t say much about the season so far because of the German champion’s chronic success story. “We have created the basis for next year,” he said, “but you have to be there again and again, then there are always opportunities.” Very big possibilities with the current look at the reliably winning German record champions.
