Kristensen denies Heidenheim

Frankfurt headed into the match looking to bounce back from their midweek DFB Cup penalty shootout defeat to Borussia Dortmund, while Heidenheim were desperate to improve on their worrying form of just one win in eight Bundesliga games. 

Eagles head coach Dino Toppmöller opted to rest several key players given the extra burden during the week, including top scorer Jonathan Burkardt. Heidenheim's Frank Schmidt, meamwhile, handed Stefan Schimmer his first-ever Bundesliga start in what was his 34th appearance in the competition.

Despite enjoying the lion's share of possession early on, Frankfurt struggled to create meaningful opportunities. Heidenheim grew into the match with Mathias Honsak heading over from a promising position. The visitors suffered a blow in the 26th minute when Can Uzun was forced off with injury, with Mario Götze coming on to replace him.

The hosts then compounded their opponents' misery shortly after taking the lead through Zivzivadze, who finished clinically from Arijon Ibrahimović's square pass. The Georgian striker celebrated his first goal of the season and third in the Bundesliga overall.

Frankfurt emerged from the interval with renewed purpose and nearly levelled immediately when Ellyes Skhiri headed Ritsu Dōan's corner against the crossbar in the 46th minute. The visitors' pressure eventually told 10 minutes later when Kristensen rose highest to head home Nathaniel Brown's cross to the back post.

Frankfurt continued to dominate possession but found it difficult to break down a resolute Heidenheim defence. In fact, the home team thought they had snatched victory in stoppage time when substitute Marvin Pieringer headed against the crossbar, with the ball bouncing into the net off goalkeeper Michael Zetterer's back, but the striker was correctly ruled offside.

Kristensen was the standout performer for Frankfurt, not only scoring the crucial equaliser but also providing solidity at the back throughout the contest. His powerful header in the 55th minute changed the momentum of the match, giving Frankfurt belief they could go on to win.

The Dane's aerial presence was crucial in both boxes, and he showed impressive pace, clocking the second-highest speed in the match at 32.85 km/h. His all-round display earned him 307 Fantasy Manager points - the highest of any player on the pitch - and saw him deservedly named Man of the Match with 57% of votes.

Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Heidenheim 0.9 - Frankfurt 2.13
Fastest player: Ansgar Knauff (Frankfurt), 34.76 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-1 by Rasmus Kristensen (Frankfurt), 16.19 percent
Most pressed player: Ansgar Knauff (Frankfurt), 22 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Stefan Schimmer (Heidenheim), 3.68

Fantasy Heroes: Rasmus Kristensen (Frankfurt, 307 Points), Arijon Ibrahimović (Heidenheim 1846, 265 Points), Robin Koch (Frankfurt, 275 Points)