1. FC Heidenheim played out a goalless draw with 1. FC Kaiserslautern to extend their unbeaten run. The stalemate in this top-of-the-table clash keeps Frank Schmidt's side in third place in the 2. Bundesliga with 14 points from seven matches.
Chances at both ends
The visitors from the Palatinate started brighter. Naatan Skyttä missed the target after seven minutes and Semih Sahin rattled the crossbar just two minutes later. Heidenheim grew into the game thereafter. Paul Hennrich's 18th-minute free-kick caused problems, and Julian Krahl was soon called into action to save from Matthias Honsak. Jan Schöppner tested the Kaiserslautern goalkeeper with a long-range effort in the 24th minute that was tipped around the post. After the break, Heidenheim continued to press. Patrick Mainka headed over from a corner in the 56th minute, and Alessandro Vogt fired wide from a good position late on. At the other end, Heidenheim keeper Kevin Müller was only seriously tested in the 81st minute, saving a long-range shot from Skyttä.
Tactical changes and a disallowed goal
Frank Schmidt was forced into a late lineup change as striker Budu Zivzivadze missed the team meeting and was only introduced at halftime for Mikkel Kaufmann. Opposite number Torsten Lieberknecht injected fresh legs in the 64th minute with a double substitution bringing on Thierry Fidjeu-Tazemeta and Ibrahim Kanaté. Kanaté thought he had scored the opener in the 71st minute, but the assistant referee correctly flagged for offside. Erencan Yardimci came close in stoppage time.
A point for the standings
The draw solidifies Heidenheim's strong platform for the challenges ahead. Now unbeaten in five, the team looks ahead to an away fixture at VfL Wolfsburg next Saturday. The last meeting with the Lower Saxony side ended in a 1-1 draw back in January. The current standings show the gap to the league leaders is just seven points.
Frank Schmidt was pleased with his team's performance. "I think both teams allowed very little and made no clear mistakes," the manager said. He described the encounter as "second-division football, every ball fiercely contested, a classic nil-nil." His counterpart Torsten Lieberknecht of Kaiserslautern echoed the sentiment: "It was a very intense game, a real second-division battle. We didn't give anything away, but Heidenheim also defended very well." Heidenheim's next competitive match is at the Volkswagen Arena on 17 October at 13:00.
Read the full report at Retresco
Frank Schmidt confirmed the tactical discipline of both teams. "Both teams allowed very little", said the Heidenheim coach. The 0-0 draw from October 9th was the second goalless draw in the last five games, following the 2-2 in Bielefeld. Heidenheim, in 3rd place with 14 points, has now scored 14 goals and conceded 12.
1. FC Heidenheim confirmed the goalless 0:0 from October 9th against 1. FC Kaiserslautern as its most recent result. Frank Schmidt's team thus remains third in the 2. Bundesliga with 14 points from seven games. The team has scored 14 goals and conceded 12 this season.
The top match at VfL Wolfsburg promises a balanced encounter, as Welt writes. Wolfsburg has already scored 19 goals this season, while Heidenheim, with 14 goals, is also potent in attack. The visitors have taken eleven points from their last five games. The difference in the table is just two points, according to the source. Heidenheim, currently third with 14 points, thus faces the fifth-placed team.
