Despite their best efforts, Heidenheim fell short at Mewa Arena, losing 2-1 against Mainz in a vital Bundesliga match on matchday 17. Mainz managed to establish a dominant 2-0 lead with two well-crafted goals. Silvan Widmer opened the scoring in the 29th minute of the first half, followed by Nadiem Amiri finding the net just three minutes after the break.
Heidenheim, however, did not give up easily and pulled one back through Stefan Schimmer in the 60th minute, but it was not enough to change the outcome.
Nadiem Amiri was the standout performer of the match, earning the title of the best player after scoring a crucial goal. Silvan Widmer also played a significant role, not only scoring but contributing defensively too.
Under the management of Urs Fischer, Mainz fielded a 4-4-2 formation with Daniel Batz in goal; the defensive line consisted of Danny da Costa, Stefan Bell, Dominik Kohr, and Silvan Widmer; while Nadiem Amiri, Kaishu Sano, Lee Jaesung, and Nikolas Veratschnig were in midfield; with Armindo Sieb and Phillip Tietz leading the attack.
On the other hand, Frank Schmidt’s team opted for a similar 4-4-2 setup, featuring Diant Ramaj as goalkeeper, with Omar Traoré, Patrick Mainka, Benedikt Gimber, and Jonas Fohrenbach in defense, Jan Schöppner, Julian Niehues, Niklas Dorsch, and Arijon Ibrahimovic in midfield, and the attacking duo of Marvin Pieringer and Mikkel Kaufmann.
The match, officiated by referee Sven Jablonski, saw Mainz solidify their position in the league, while Heidenheim’s loss placed them at risk of relegation.
Looking ahead, Mainz will visit Cologne in the next round, while Heidenheim will face Wolfsburg. Currently, Mainz occupies 16th place with 12 points, while Heidenheim finds itself at the bottom of the league in 18th place, also with 12 points.
Substitutions for Mainz
34’ 1T – Nikolas Veratschnig was replaced by Kacper Potulski; 90’ 2T – Nadiem Amiri went off for Lennard Maloney and Phillip Tietz was substituted for Arnaud Nordin.
Yellow cards for Mainz:
45’ 1T – Dominik Kohr; 49’ 2T – Silvan Widmer.
Substitutions for Heidenheim
45’ 2T – Jan Schöppner was replaced by Sirlord Conteh; 59’ 2T – Mikkel Kaufmann went off for Stefan Schimmer, Marvin Pieringer was substituted for Adrian Beck, and Armindo Sieb was replaced by Paul Nebel; 75’ 2T – Julian Niehues was brought off for Mathias Honsak; 82’ 2T – Jonas Fohrenbach was replaced by Yannik Wagner.
Yellow cards for Heidenheim:
9’ 2T – Marvin Pieringer; 32’ 2T – Benedikt Gimber; 43’ 2T – Frank Schmidt.