A relieved Werder Bremen on Monday sealed their Bundesliga survival on away goals after a dramatic 2-2 draw at second-tier Heidenheim 1846 in a nerve-racking relegation-promotion playoff, second leg, with the crucial second goal scored in stoppage-time.
“I’m just happy and glad that we made it after all that,” Bremen coach Florian Kohfeldt said after the playoff finished 2-2 on aggregate.
“We were dead so many times this year, we always came back,” he added after Bremen had only qualified for the playoff on the final day of the season. “It’s an incredible pressure that is off us all. Every criticism was justified, but chapeau to the boys.”
Photo: Reuters
Bremen, who won the last of their four German titles in 2003-2004, preserve their record of the most seasons spent in the Bundesliga by any club, while Heidenheim remain in the second division.
“We had a great chance, we are mega-disappointed,” said Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt, whose side blew their chance of playing in the top flight after a goalless draw at Bremen in Thursday last week’s first leg. “We may not have lost in either game, but you feel like a loser. It is brutal for us now, we will need a few days to recover.”
After Heidenheim conceded an own-goal inside the opening three minutes, striker Tim Kleindienst equalized in the 85th minute to keep the hosts’ hopes alive.
However, Bremen’s survival was confirmed four minutes into stoppage-time.
Substitute Fin Bartels beat the defense and set up Swedish defender Ludwig Augustinsson to fire home his first goal of the season and his team’s crucial second.
In the dying stages, Bremen defender Theodor Gebre Selassie conceded a penalty when he fouled Heidenheim midfielder Tobias Mohr in the penalty area.
Kleindienst fired home the spot-kick in the eighth minute of stoppage-time, but it was too little, too late.
Bremen made a flying start when Heidenheim centerback Norman Theuerkauf gifted his former club an own-goal after just three minutes.
With 10 minutes gone, a long-range shot by Bremen forward Milot Rashica had to be tipped over the crossbar by Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Mueller.
It was 1-0 at halftime, but Heidenheim flew out of the blocks in the second half and had Bremen under pressure before forcing the equalizer.
With clock ticking down, Heidenheim drew level on 85 minutes when midfielder Tobias Mohr clattered the crossbar and Kleindienst tapped home the rebound, before both teams scored in the dramatic closing stages.
Fans are not allowed in German stadiums since the league restarted after the COVID-19 suspension, but there were curious scenes midway through the second half when a group of young people appeared briefly in the main stand, before quickly being ushered away.
Heidenheim, who finished third in the second division, had been bidding for their first Bundesliga season, while Bremen, who finished third-from-bottom in the top flight, preserved their status.
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