Darmstadt’s run of 21 league games without defeat is history. In the evening, the lilies succumb late at host Heidenheim. FC professional Burnic is sent off in added time.
1. FC Heidenheim has once again made the fight for promotion in the 2nd Bundesliga really exciting. The Baden-Württemberg team won the top game against SV Darmstadt 98 1-0 (0-0) and reduced the gap to league leaders Darmstadt to three points. In addition, Heidenheim inflicted the first defeat on the lilies since the start of the season and after 21 league games.
Darmstadt now leads with 49 points ahead of Hamburger SV (48) and Heidenheim (46). Jan-Niklas Beste (89th minute) scored the decisive goal in front of 12,212 spectators in the Voith Arena in the evening. Heidenheim remains undefeated at home this season.
The guests started energetically and with a lot of self-confidence. After a bad pass by Tim Siersleben, Phillip Tietz tested Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Müller with a shot from 20 meters. The hosts needed something to get into the game. After 15 minutes it was a match with a lot of speed and intense duels.
Patrick Mainka (21st) had the chance to put his Heidenheimer in the lead. As a result, the home side gained an advantage in midfield and pushed the leaders back into their own half. In this phase, Darmstadt only came in front of goal occasionally. A hit by Tietz (31st) was disallowed for offside. On the other hand, the defensive of the guests was safe, so there were hardly any opportunities.
After the restart, both teams initially neutralized each other. The Ostwuerttembergers had the first really good chance. But Darmstadt goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen parried the header from Jan Schöppner (52nd) brilliantly. But just before the end Beste scored the deserved lead for the home side. Heidenheim’s Dzenis Burnic, who had already been warned, received a yellow-red card in the hectic stoppage time.
