Match Preview vs Heidenheim

Our Opponents: 

1.FC Heidenheim are a staple in the 2.Bundesliga now and not only that but a dangerous team that will always be tipped to finish near the top of the league. Much of that credit comes down to long standing head coach Frank Schmidt and his progression with the club in recent times. Once again they have started the league campaign well, two victories to start things on this season. After a tight away win in Rostock for the league opener, a convincing 3-0 victory at home to newly promoted Eintracht Braunschweig last time out. Schmidt’s side overcame Regionalliga Bayern side FC Illertissen by a scoreline of 2-0 despite still being level at the break. The signing of Jan Niklas Beste along with old regulars of Kevin Müller, Patrick Mainka and Tim Kleindienst give Heidenheim a very dangerous. A team never to be underestimated as a tough test awaits HSV. 

Match Facts; 

Heidenheim expert Kittel  

Creative player Sonny Kittel has not scored as many goals against any other club in the 2nd Bundesliga as he did against Heidenheim (five). The 29-year-old has a total of 52 goals and 53 assists in 170 second division games. For HSV, Sonny scored 29 times in 95 league games and set up another 31 goals. In the cup match in Bayreuth (3:1 n.V.), he was an asset in the offensive play of the Red Shorts with twelve shots on goal. 

Lust for a home goal 

The HSV goal anthem is one of the most popular in all of footballing Germany. In the pre-season, it was always reliable. The Red Shirts scored in every second league and cup home game. In the relegation second leg against Hertha BSC, of all teams, as well as in this year's home opener against Hansa Rostock, they were last without a home goal. The HSV fans have been waiting for the Scooter track "Always Hardcore", or its variation "Always Hamburg", for 250 minutes. It's about time, Rothosen!   

Coaching legend Schmidt 

Frank Schmidt has been head coach of 1. FC Heidenheim for 14 years, ten months and 18 days. This makes the 48-year-old the longest-serving coach in German professional football. By comparison, Rostock's head coach Jens Härtel (three years, six months) has the second-longest tenure in the 2nd division and thus has more than a decade less experience at the club. In the Bundesliga, by the way, Freiburg's Christian Streich leads this statistic with ten years and seven months, far ahead of Union Berlin's Urs Fischer (four years, one month).