Bundesliga
It was a day of celebration for Heidenheim after Frank Schmidt's men made Bundesliga survival a distinct possibility with an eye-catching win at Union Berlin secured thanks to Adrian Beck's double and a Jan Schöppner strike.
Union Berlin 0-3 Heidenheim
Goals: 0-1 Beck 12’ (assist: Pieringer), 0-2 Schöppner 56’ (assist: Pieringer), 0-3 Beck 73’ (assist: Wanner)
Union may have been certain of their top-flight survival for some time, but the visitors found themselves sitting precariously in the relegation play-off spot and looking nervously over their shoulders at Bochum and Holstein Kiel below them. For that reason, it was Heidenheim who started with the greater urgency at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
With the game just 12 minutes old, Beck found himself in space inside the box and calmly slotted past Frederik Rønnow to give the relieved visitors the lead. Union - unbeaten in their previous eight Bundesliga matches - struggled to respond, with their only notable chance coming from László Bénes, whose shot flew wide.
The second half saw Heidenheim grow in confidence. In the 56th minute, they doubled their lead through Schöppner, who finished off a swift counter-attack with a smart nutmeg that left Rønnow ref-faced .
Union thought they had pulled one back shortly after, but Janik Haberer's effort was ruled out for offside after a VAR check. The hosts' hopes were dealt a further blow in the 73rd minute when Beck scored his second of the match with a deflected strike, effectively sealing the victory for Heidenheim.
Despite late efforts from Union, including attempts by David Preu and Benedict Hollerbach, Feller and the Heidenheim defence stood strong to secure a clean sheet and a 3-0 win that - after Bochum and Kiel were both relegated following respective losses - meant Schmidt's men had secured at least 16th place and a play-off. With St. Pauli due to play on Sunday, Heidenheim can even still afford to dream of automatic safety.
Beck delivered a standout performance that proved crucial in Heidenheim's victory. The midfielder's clinical finishing was evident in both his goals, the first coming from a well-timed run into the box and the second a composed finish past Rønnow. The 27-year-old's brace not only secured the win but also marked the first double scored by a Heidenheim player in the Bundesliga this season.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Union Berlin 0.56 - Heidenheim 1.48
Fastest player: Josip Juranović (Union), 34.19 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-0 by Beck (Heidenheim), 25 percent
Most pressed player: Benedict Hollerbach (Union), 31 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Tim Siersleben (Heidenheim), +3.48
Fantasy Heroes: Beck (Heidenheim 1846, 409 Points), Schöppner (Heidenheim 1846, 277 Points), Patrick Mainka (Heidenheim 1846, 254 Points)