- In a seemingly intoxicated state, Heidenheim confronts Augsburg
Guided by newcomers Paul Wanner and Léo Scienza, 1. FC Heidenheim kept up their exceptional performance against FC Augsburg, clinching a 4-0 (2-0) triumph in the Bundesliga. The Swabians celebrated their fifth victory in five competitive matches this season.
Wanner, on loan from FC Bayern Munich, started the scoring with a penalty kick in the 9th minute, while Scienza, who joined from SSV Ulm, followed with a powerful shot in front of 15,000 spectators (30th minute). Adrian Beck (69th minute) and Maximilian Breunig (73rd minute) increased the advantage, leading to festive scenes in Ostalb.
Heidenheim currently sit at the top of the league, progressing to the next round of the DFB-Pokal, and securing a place in the Conference League group stage. They look forward to their encounter with prestigious FC Chelsea in late November. In contrast, Augsburg suffered a setback after drawing 2-2 with Werder Bremen in their initial match.
Wanner scores with ease from the spot
Seven minutes into the game, Augsburg's Keven Schlotterbeck accidentally touched the ball with his left arm in the penalty area, prompting referee Martin Petersen to award a penalty following a VAR review. Wanner confidently converted the opportunity, placing the ball into the bottom left corner.
This was Wanner's fourth competitive goal of the season, and another record-breaking achievement. The previous week, he became the youngest Bundesliga goalscorer in Heidenheim's history against FC St. Pauli. Now, he's also the youngest player to score a penalty in the German top flight.
Schlotterbeck's unfortunate event
The first half was filled with tension, as Augsburg maintained more possession and had several chances to equalize. Schlotterbeck's best opportunity came when he headed the ball onto the crossbar (27th minute).
Heidenheim took advantage and scored again: Marvin Pieringer passed the ball to Scienza, who powerfully finished the move. The talented Brazilian had also scored earlier in the Conference League playoffs against BK Häcken.
Beck renews contract and scores
Even after the halftime break, Wanner and Scienza continued to impact Heidenheim's midfield, but a promising counter-attack didn't result in a goal (56th minute). Augsburg's substitutions of Marius Wolf and Swiss international Ruben Vargas failed to turn the tide. Instead, Beck, who had recently extended his contract until 2028, sealed the victory. Wanner set up the goal, and substitute Breunig added a fourth shortly after.
Unfortunately for the outstanding Heidenheim team, midfielder Lennard Maloney had to be substituted due to back pain just before halftime.
Scienza's impressive goal-scoring history continues with SSV Ulm being his former club.In their upcoming encounter with FC Chelsea, Heidenheim hopes to utilize Scienza's skills from his time at SSV Ulm.
