Heidenheim fight back for 2-2 draw in play-off against Elversberg

Heidenheim fought back from a 2-0 deficit to claim a 2-2 home draw in the first leg of the Bundesliga relegation/promotion play-off against second division side Elversberg on Thursday.

The hosts started the game with the best chances, but it was Elversberg who broke the deadlock in the 18th minute.

The guests held the ball firmly deep in Heidenheim's half before Fisnik Asllani finally passed it to Lukas Petkov, who appeared unmarked in front of goalkeeper Kevin Müller before finding the net.

They doubled their lead in the 42nd as Petkov recovered the ball just outside the area and found Tom Zimmerschied, who immediately served Fisnik Asllani.

The forward found space between two defenders and fired a low shot into the bottom right corner.

Heidenheim thought they pulled one back shortly before the break, but Omar Haktab Traoré's effort was ruled out for offside.

They were on target, however, in the 62nd thanks to Tim Siersleben and levelled the game just two minutes later.

Leonardo Scienza's attempt from the edge of the box was blocked by goalkeeper, but Mathias Honsak took the rebound to score.

The second leg is on Monday at Elversberg.

"Elversberg took a deserved lead in the first half, I have to be honest. We were a bit worried. But we gave everything, the fans gave everything. It's all open for the return game," Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt told broadcasters Sky.

Elversberg are bidding to become the first club from Saarland in the Bundesliga in 32 years after the much larger Saarbrücken were relegated in 1993.

It is just their second season in the second division after spending only one in the third tier, after promotion from the fourth division in 2022.

The club are from the municipality of Spiesen-Elversberg, which has a population of around 13,000 and no train station, in the south-western Saarland state. Their average attendance is 9,000 fans per game.

"Both sides had many chances. We have showed what we can endure. We're ready for Monday," Elversberg goalkeeper Nicolas Kristof told Sky.

Coach Horst Steffen added: "In the end, it was okay. We want to achieve it (promotion) at home. To avoid a defeat is enough."

Heidenheim, meanwhile, are trying to remain in the top tier after they achieved their first-ever Bundesliga promotion in 2023.

Since the play-off system was reintroduced in 2009, 13 Bundesliga teams managed to retain their position in the top flight, while three second division teams have achieved promotion.

The last one was Union Berlin, who defeated VfB Stuttgart in 2019.