Red card for Thomalla
1. FC Heidenheim have so far missed the direct promotion places and even the top spot in the 2nd Bundesliga and have bet a more comfortable lead on their pursuers. The third-placed side went no more than 1-1 (1-1) away at Fortuna Dusseldorf on Saturday but defended their seven-point lead over fourth-placed Paderborn.
The Rhinelanders, on the other hand, who had previously succeeded at home three times in a row, probably lost any chance of promotion with an eight-point deficit to relegation rank. In front of 26,827 spectators in the Düsseldorf Arena, Emmauel Iyoha (27th minute) scored the hosts’ goal, Tim Kleindienst (20th) initially put Heidenheim in the lead. Guest Denis Thomalla receives a red card for assault (77th).
A week after the 1-0 victory in the lead game against SV Darmstadt 98, the guests, who had not been defeated for four games, started with just one change. Norman Theuerkauf replaced Marnon Busch in the starting XI and took over the role of central defensive midfielder. Düsseldorf, who are strong at home, put pressure on Ostwuerttemberg from the start and had good chances to score thanks to strikers Dawid Kownacki (13′) and Emmanuel Iyoha (18′). But with the opening attack worth seeing, Kleindienst used Florian Pick’s perfect cross to give Heidenheim the opener. It was the 16th goal of the season for the second division top scorer.
In the varied game, the hosts scored an equalizer through Iyoha after some early work from solid left-back Michal Karbownik. The goal gave coach Daniel Thioune’s side a boost, but in the end Fortuna lacked the penetrating power to defeat Heidenheimer, a compact and tactically disciplined defender. The guests also survived the finals shorthanded after Thomalla was shown the red card.
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