Heidenheim hope last season's escape fuels another Bundesliga miracle

Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt has called on his relegation-threatened side to hold their nerve in a "heart-stopping finale" to the Bundesliga season at home to Mainz on Saturday.

The second-bottom club have rallied of late and go into the final day level on points with Wolfsburg and St Pauli but with a worse goal difference than the Wolves. Two will go down from the trio and the other will go into the relegation play-off in a thrilling climax to the season.

It is made all the more intriguing by the fact St Pauli take on Wolfsburg, but all Heidenheim can do is beat Mainz and hope their rivals draw in the best case scenario.

The modest club from a town of 50,000 people stunned German football by finishing eighth in their first season in the Bundesliga two seasons ago.

Last term, combined with European football, proved more difficult and Heidenheim rescued themselves at the death in the relegation play-off with an injury-time winner against Elversberg.

Schmidt says memories of last season and a last-gasp promotion in 2023 are confidence boosters.

"They have been helping us for a long time," he told reporters on Friday, adding that any assumption that Mainz had their "heads already half on the beach" was dangerous.

Heidenheim have been bottom for long spells of this campaign and looked doomed just weeks ago.

But seven points from the last nine on offer means they can at least lift themselves into another relegation play-off with the third-placed team in the second tier - if results go their way on Saturday.

St Pauli have home advantage against Wolfsburg and are level on goal difference with Heidenheim, with only goals scored keeping them bottom by a huge margin.

The shot-shy side from Hamburg have had to deal with illness and injuries in the camp this week but coach Alexander Blessin saw positive signs.

"Training has been really lively. It is important for me to see that the team is vibrant and the lads are trying to push each other," he said on Thursday.

Wolfsburg boss Dieter Hecking said the 2009 champions' job was clear.

"We're heading to Hamburg to win the game – anything else shouldn't concern us," he remarked.

A two-legged relegation play-off over the next two weeks will follow for whoever finishes third-bottom. Their opponents from the second tier could be Elversberg, Hanover and Paderborn depending on their season finale on Sunday.