1. FC Heidenheim initiated a urgently needed turnaround with a 5:3 home win against Dynamo Dresden. The victory on the third matchday of the 2. Bundesliga ended a run of four competitive matches in which FCH had conceded a total of 15 goals.
Frank Schmidt's team now has six points from three season games. The club's current league standing is ninth place with three points from two matches, one win and one loss, having scored five goals while conceding seven. In the title race, Heidenheim now trails leaders Hertha BSC by six points.
The game started far from ideally for FCH. At halftime, Heidenheim was trailing 0:1. Sporting director Holger Sanwald had called the match brutally important beforehand, and the first half seemed to confirm that pressure. After the break, coach Frank Schmidt reacted with a tactical adjustment. His team implemented a higher and more courageous forward defense.
Despite this change and a numerical advantage following a red card for Dresden, Heidenheim initially failed to turn the game around. Instead, the team conceded another goal. The defense, which had suffered heavily in the previous matches against Hertha BSC (1:4) and in the DFB-Pokal against fourth-division side Jeddeloh II (2:5), appeared shaky once more. Dynamo Dresden had also entered the match with two previous clean sheets.
The turnaround came through an improved offensive performance and the good character of the team, as new signing Michael Heule put it. The convincing left-back was part of a squad that did not give up. Julian Niehues scored an important goal for the 5:3 final score. This win was a direct response to speculation about a crisis or even dissolution at the club that had emerged following the disappointing results.
For Frank Schmidt, who has coached the club for 19 years, it was the first time in his long tenure that his team conceded 15 goals in four consecutive competitive matches. After the match, the coach urged for composure. "Wir brauchen jetzt nicht überschwänglich sein, das weiß aber auch jeder" (We don't need to be overly enthusiastic now, but everyone knows that), Schmidt said.
The defensive issues remain a serious topic in need of significant improvement. The preseason motto 'We attack' must now be combined with more stability at the back. New signings like Michael Heule have shown they can help. However, the team is currently without Christian Conteh and Sirlord Conteh, who are on the injury list. The current squad status can be viewed on our squad page.
The 2. Bundesliga table shows Heidenheim in ninth place. Detailed standings are available online. The next opportunity to prove defensive stability is the away match on September 6, 2026, against SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Fürth is currently in 17th place. The full schedule can be found on our fixtures overview.
The 5:3 success against Dresden is an important psychological signal. It proves the team is capable of turning games around even in difficult phases. The six points from the first three league games provide a solid foundation. The major construction site, however, remains the defense. The upcoming training sessions before the Fürth match will certainly focus on this weakness. An away win against a direct competitor in the lower part of the table would be the next logical step to finally end the crisis and refocus on the season's objectives.
