Heidenheim still has a route out of trouble, and köln vs heidenheim on Sunday could tighten the bottom of the table again. A win at 1. FC Köln would put 1. FC Heidenheim level on points with the two teams ahead after Wolfsburg and St. Pauli lost.
Behrens and the Bayern draw
Hennes Behrens said the pressure has not gone away, and he does not want the relegation battle to feel flat. The 21-year-old outside defender said, “Rund um das Bayern-Spiel schon ein bisschen häufiger als davor.”
The 3:3 draw at FC Bayern changed the mood inside the squad. Behrens said, “Dieses Kribbeln hilft – es tut gut zu wissen, dass es noch um etwas geht.” He added, “Für manche ist das sogar ein zusätzlicher Push.”
Schmidt’s regular starter
Behrens has gone from a player once viewed as part of a team headed down to a regular starter under Frank Schmidt. In his first season on loan from TSG Hoffenheim, he has settled into a role at outside defender and said he has become more mature during his time at FCH.
He also said his play has sharpened in recent weeks. “Ja, ich bin klarer und stabiler geworden.” After early mistakes, he said, “Das habe ich besser in den Griff bekommen – auch wenn Fehler natürlich dazugehören.”
Sunday at 17:30 Uhr
The timing matters because Heidenheim still carries a real chance to stay in the league, and that chance only survived after the recent losses by Wolfsburg and St. Pauli. Before the Bayern match, Heidenheim were regarded as a sure relegation candidate; now a result at Köln could drag the fight deeper into the final stretch of the season.
Behrens said that if the tension disappeared, something would be wrong. “Wenn es nicht mehr kribbelt, stimmt etwas nicht.” For him, the pressure is part of the point, not a burden to hide from: “Aber klar: Mit Verantwortung wächst man.”
