Heidenheim fight back twice to earn point against Leverkusen in six-goal shootout

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayer-leverkusen/4jcj2zMd/"]Leverkusen[/a] had made it five successive H2H wins with a 6-0 thumping in the reverse fixture, and after a quiet opening period, they edged ahead here with the first shot on target of the game after 22 minutes.[/p][p]Having dominated possession without creating a clear-cut opening, a delightful whipped ball from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garcia-aleix/QD7noPXB/"]Aleix Garcia[/a] unlocked the Heidenheim defence, allowing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tillman-malik/pGHnblVn/"]Malik Tillman[/a] to ghost in unmarked at the back post, where he cushioned home a controlled side-foot volley.[/p][p]Chances were largely at a premium, but Kasper Hjulmand will have been unperturbed as his side doubled their advantage 10 minutes before the break, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schick-patrik/WzQQSSfc/"]Patrik Schick[/a] powering in a close-range header from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grimaldo-alex/6cAIrW5Q/"]Alejandro Grimaldo[/a]’s excellent cross.[/p][p]That marked the 10th time in 11 games against the current top six in which Heidenheim had conceded at least twice.[/p][p]An uphill battle awaited FCH after the restart, yet they came agonisingly close to halving the deficit when the ball broke to half-time substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/niehues-julian/80wjP4AN/"]Julian Niehues[/a], who sliced an effort onto the outside of the post.[/p][p]And soon after, a touch of fortune handed Heidenheim a lifeline, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/behrens-hennes/OnsXJAhk/"]Hennes Behrens[/a]’s inswinging ball from deep appeared to evade everyone in the box, bouncing all the way into the back of the net, and surviving a VAR check, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mainka-patrick/tOj7oKpB/"]Patrick Mainka[/a] seemingly claiming the goal. [/p][p]Suddenly, the complexion of the contest had changed, and with momentum now on their side, Heideheim levelled the game 18 minutes from time. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andrich-robert/zDjAwp82/"]Robert Andrich[/a] was undoubtedly at fault, tangling in the box with Marvin Pieringer, who dusted himself off to dispatch the subsequent penalty and set up an intriguing finale. [/p][image alt="Heidenheim - Bayer Leverkusen match stats" id="3ec1d549-d635-4213-a47d-1768cdc9a09d" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="f9c16ea9-b5c0-483d-a1eb-07e96325472b" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]However, parity lasted just seven minutes, with Grimaldo and Schick combining again, this time from a corner, as the forward nodded home from inside the six-yard box to replicate the brace he scored in the reverse fixture. Undeterred, Heidenehim fought back once more, netting from a corner of their own in the 85th minute when Pieringer’s header left [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/flekken-mark/INE64p13/"]Mark Flekken[/a] rooted to the spot.[/p][p]That proved to be the last piece of meaningful action, and despite a positive second-half performance, a point will do little to ease Heidenheim’s fears of returning to the second tier after a three-year stay in the Bundesliga, as they sit nine points adrift of the relegation play-off spot.[/p][p]Meanwhile, sixth-placed Die Werkself have won just one of their last nine games across all competitions (D6, L2), a run that leaves them four points off the three sides directly above them in their hunt to qualify for Europe’s top-tier competition.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pieringer-marvin/M7o4Fz8A/"]Marvin Pieringer[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/heidenheim/KWixEVWi/"]Heidenheim[/a])[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bayer-leverkusen-4jcj2zMd/heidenheim-KWixEVWi/summary/stats/?mid=tnhrbzPH"]Check out all the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/p]