Eintracht made two changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Wolfsburg last Sunday. Niels Nkounkou and Farès Chaibi came in for Donny van de Beek and Hugo Ekitiké as head coach Dino Toppmöller stuck with the 4-4-2 system deployed against the Wolves. Midfielders Hugo Larsson and Ellyes Skhiri returned to the squad following their recent injuries.
Bizarre own goal breaks deadlock
The defences were on top in the first half at a sunny Voith-Arena, with neither team creating any notable opportunities in the opening 45 minutes. Chaibi went closest for Frankfurt but his free-kick sailed over the bar.
It took a moment of fortune for Eintracht to go in front on 39 minutes, when Benedikt Gimber’s back-pass to Kevin Müller bobbled over the Heidenheim goalkeeper’s boot and into the net to give the visitors a slender lead at half-time.
Early Nkounkou strike enough
Toppmöller made a double substitution at the break, replacing Philipp Max and Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe with Larsson and Ekitiké. And his side made the perfect start to the second half when Niels Nkounkou made it 2-0 with a powerful left-footed drive after being played in by Tuta. Heidenheim boss Frank Schmidt responded with a triple substitution of his own and it was one of the replacements, Marvin Pieringer, who got the hosts back in the game when he weaved his way into the box before slotting through Kevin Trapp’s legs.
There was a much higher tempo in the game now as both teams looked to get the crucial next goal. Shortly after Skhiri replaced the injured Robin Koch, Eintracht had three big chances in the space of two minutes. From Chaibi’s corner, Tuta’s header was well saved by Müller, and then Chaibi was involved again as his shot was blocked by Müller, who got up to save Ansgar Knauff’s follow-up effort.
The contest became somewhat fraught in the closing stages, with both teams also making a number of changes. Heidenheim pushed for an equaliser during seven minutes of added time, with Trapp pushing Pieringer’s header onto the post and then Tim Kleindienst heading wide, but the Eagles held on for a crucial away win which consolidates their position in sixth.
