Two deflected goals boost Freiburg and leave Heidenheim on the brink
Two deflected goals in each half from JohanManzambi and Maxi Eggestein helped Freiburg end a special week on a high with a 2-1 home victory over bottom side Heidenheim on Sunday. Eggestein's winner on 83 minutes followed their cruise into the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday following a 6-1 aggregate thumping of Celta Vigo in the last eight.
Heidenheim's Budu Zivzivadze and Freiburg's Johan Manzambi battle for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and 1. FC Heidenheim at the Europa-Park Stadium. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa Two deflected goals in each half from Johan Manzambi and Maxi Eggestein helped Freiburg end a special week on a high with a 2-1 home victory over bottom side Heidenheim on Sunday.
Eggestein's winner on 83 minutes followed their cruise into the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday following a 6-1 aggregate thumping of Celta Vigo in the last eight. If the Black Forest side fail to win the Europa League to gain a berth in next season's Champions League, Sunday's win boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Conference League through the Bundesliga. They are in seventh spot, which could be rewarded depending on who wins the German Cup and whether Germany snatches a fifth Champions League place next term via co-efficients.
Freiburg visit south-west rivals VfB Stuttgart in the German Cup semi-finals on Thursday. Substitute Budu Zivzivadze had bent in a superb equalizer for Heidenheim but a 19th defeat of the league season means their hopes of avoiding relegation are hanging by a thread. With four games left, Heidenheim are seven points behind St Pauli, who fill the relegation play-off spot.
They host the Hamburg-based club next Saturday. Leaders Bayern Munich welcome Stuttgart now with a point being enough to retain their Bundesliga title. Mainz also go to Borussia Mönchengladbach later.