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Pure excitement: Elversberg vs. Heidenheim in the promotion final!
Heidenheim will fight for promotion to the Bundesliga in the second leg against Elversberg on May 26th, 2025 after an exciting 2-2 draw in the first leg.
Pure excitement: Elversberg vs. Heidenheim in the promotion final!
In an exciting relegation encounter for the final starting place in the 2025/2026 Bundesliga season, SV Elversberg and 1. FC Heidenheim drew 2-2 in the first leg. The second leg will take place next Monday at the Kaiserlinde stadium in Saarland and promises just as much drama as everything is open for both teams. The spectators in the Voith Arena experienced an intense game on Saturday, in front of 15,000 sold-out seats.
Elversberg took the lead early: Petkov scored in the 18th minute, followed by Asllani, who made it 0-2 in the 42nd minute. But Heidenheim showed fighting spirit and equalized in the second half through Siersleben (62nd minute) and Honsak (65th minute). This comeback in the second half illustrated the dynamics of both teams and the high level of play, as ZDF reporter Claudia Oberst also noted. She described a possible promotion of Elversberg as an “absolute crowning achievement” for the club, which has earned respect across the country.
The path to the Bundesliga
Relegation to the German Bundesliga, as it has been practiced since the 2008/09 season, includes two games between the third-to-last team in the Bundesliga and the third-placed team in the 2nd Bundesliga. In the history of these relegations, the first division teams have prevailed in 13 out of 16 cases since 2008. Heidenheim, who were promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga first in 2014, now wants to secure relegation and have good chances, as the first leg shows.
Under coach Horst Steffen, Elversberg has developed into a strong team, but they had difficulties at times in the first leg against the pressure of their opponents. The returnee Lukas Pinckert, who was suspended in the first leg, will bring a breath of fresh air to Elversberg. Maximilian Rohr could make way for him, while Paul Stock is also back in the squad. A win for Elversberg would mean their third promotion in just four years, a remarkable achievement for the club.
A look at the statistics
The game in the Voith Arena was characterized by high tempo. Heidenheim was characterized by more possession of the ball, while Elversberg used its chances more efficiently. In the second half, Elversberg even had the opportunity to increase the game to 3-0, but Damar failed. Heidenheim put the guests under a lot of pressure and could even have brought the equalizer to 3-2 through Zivzivadze in the 82nd minute, but only hit the crossbar.
Results first leg:
| minute | goal |
|---|---|
| 18 | 0:1 by Petkov |
| 42 | 0:2 by Asllani |
| 62 | 1:2 by Siersleben |
| 65 | 2:2 by Honsak |
Relegation remains a controversial topic as it has historically presented both opportunities and challenges for the teams involved. Financial differences between the leagues and the unequal scheduling of games are common points of criticism. Nevertheless, many experts and fans see relegation as an important tension factor in German football. In the coming days it will become clear who will ultimately achieve the big goal of the Bundesliga.
For further information and the latest developments on the relegation games, you can visit the following link: ZDF, Kicker, as well as the comprehensive history Wikipedia.