Heidenheim's Late Show Hands Union a Loss, Keeps Mainz in Relegation Peril
In a stunning turn of events, Heidenheim came from behind to defeat Union Berlin 2-0 on Saturday, handing their rivals their first Bundesliga loss this season and leaving Mainz looking down the barrel at relegation. The victory marked Heidenheim's first win over Union since last year's German Cup final, and it was a fitting revenge story given the long-standing "Heidenheim hex" that had seen Union lose to the side in 11 straight meetings.
The match was tied at 0-0 until Stefan Schimmer scored in stoppage time off a Omar Haktab TraorΓ© cross. Jan SchΓΆppner sealed the win for Heidenheim with a late header, sending Union's hopes of a comeback down the drain.
Mainz, who are already in relegation trouble, suffered a devastating 4-0 loss to Freiburg earlier on Sunday. The defeat left Mainz five points adrift from safety and further entrenched their chances of dropping into the Bundesliga's bottom two spots. The loss was also a blow to coach Bo Henriksen, whose position is now uncertain.
The result marked a perfect weekend for Bayern Munich, who moved eight points clear at the top of the table with two late goals in a 3-1 win over Leverkusen. However, the Bavarian side's success came at the expense of Hamburg, which was the target of fan protests and criticism after its interior senator Andy Grote spoke out against ultras' freedoms.
The Bundesliga standings now show Heidenheim at 16th place with eight points, while Union Berlin are in 11th. Mainz are 18th and 12 points adrift from safety.
In a stunning turn of events, Heidenheim came from behind to defeat Union Berlin 2-0 on Saturday, handing their rivals their first Bundesliga loss this season and leaving Mainz looking down the barrel at relegation. The victory marked Heidenheim's first win over Union since last year's German Cup final, and it was a fitting revenge story given the long-standing "Heidenheim hex" that had seen Union lose to the side in 11 straight meetings.
The match was tied at 0-0 until Stefan Schimmer scored in stoppage time off a Omar Haktab TraorΓ© cross. Jan SchΓΆppner sealed the win for Heidenheim with a late header, sending Union's hopes of a comeback down the drain.
Mainz, who are already in relegation trouble, suffered a devastating 4-0 loss to Freiburg earlier on Sunday. The defeat left Mainz five points adrift from safety and further entrenched their chances of dropping into the Bundesliga's bottom two spots. The loss was also a blow to coach Bo Henriksen, whose position is now uncertain.
The result marked a perfect weekend for Bayern Munich, who moved eight points clear at the top of the table with two late goals in a 3-1 win over Leverkusen. However, the Bavarian side's success came at the expense of Hamburg, which was the target of fan protests and criticism after its interior senator Andy Grote spoke out against ultras' freedoms.
The Bundesliga standings now show Heidenheim at 16th place with eight points, while Union Berlin are in 11th. Mainz are 18th and 12 points adrift from safety.