Heidenheim and Elversberg draw 2-2 in Bundesliga playoff first leg

By: The Associated Press Posted: 4:00 PM CDT Thursday, May. 22, 2025

HEIDENHEIM, Germany (AP) — Two overachieving clubs clashed for a place in the Bundesliga and neither could strike a decisive blow.

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HEIDENHEIM, Germany (AP) — Two overachieving clubs clashed for a place in the Bundesliga and neither could strike a decisive blow.

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HEIDENHEIM, Germany (AP) — Two overachieving clubs clashed for a place in the Bundesliga and neither could strike a decisive blow.

Top-tier Heidenheim and second-division Elversberg drew 2-2 in the first leg of their relegation/promotion playoff on Thursday, leaving the contest finely poised before the second leg in Elversberg on Monday.

“Everything open,” Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt said.

Heidenheim's Omar Traore, left, and Elversberg's Robin Fellhauer battle for the ball during a Bundesliga relegation playoff first leg soccer match between FC Heidenheim and SV Elversberg, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Heidenheim, Germany. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Heidenheim, which was only promoted to the top division in 2023 after an unlikely ascent through the lower leagues, finished third from bottom in the Bundesliga this season when it also had to contend with European competition after its eighth-place finish last year.

Elversberg, which was still playing at fourth-tier level three years ago, finished third in the second division to earn its shot in the playoff.

It was a duel between modest clubs with the longest-serving coaches in German professional soccer. Schmidt took over in Heidenheim on Sept. 17, 2007, while his Elversberg counterpart Horst Steffen took charge on Oct. 29, 2018.

Steffen led the team from the fourth-tier regional league, clinching promotion to the third division in 2022, then to the second as third-division champion a year later, before earning the shot at Bundesliga promotion this year.

Heidenheim made the better start and missed good chances before Lukas Petkov struck for the visitors in the 18th minute, and Fisnik Asllani finished off a well-worked team move to make it 2-0 in the 42nd.

Omar Haktab Traoré thought he’d pulled one back for Heidenheim before the break, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check found an offside player involved in the buildup.