RB Leipzig's efforts to climb the Bundesliga table were thwarted on Sunday as they fought back to secure a 2-2 draw against 1. FC Heidenheim, who had taken a surprising early lead. The match, held at the Red Bull Arena, was characterized by early drama when Heidenheim shocked the hosts with two goals inside the first quarter of an hour.
Mathias Honsak opened the scoring just six minutes in, launching a stunning left-footed shot from outside the box, which left Leipzig goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi with no chance. The visitors extended their lead seven minutes later when Heidenheim’s Marvin Pieringer converted from the penalty spot, awarded for a foul by Leipzig captain Willi Orbán.
Despite trailing 2-0, Leipzig managed to muster some resolve. Their persistence paid off just before halftime when Loïs Openda pulled one back. Openda was assisted by Benjamin Šeško, who cushioned Kevin Kampl's cross perfectly, allowing Openda to find the bottom corner and give Leipzig hope going to the halftime break.
Leipzig entered the second half with renewed energy and confidence, applying significant pressure on Heidenheim's defense. The turning point came when Šeško was fouled inside the penalty area, earning Leipzig another penalty. VAR reviewed the incident and upheld the referee's call. Šeško took the penalty himself and leveled the game with his clinical finish to make it 2-2.
Despite dominating possession—amassing 69% and recording 16 shots compared to Heidenheim's five—Leipzig failed to convert their numerous chances, largely due to the resilience of Heidenheim’s goalkeeper Kevin Müller, who made several key saves.
After the match, players expressed mixed feelings. Leipzig’s Willi Orbán was outspoken about the team's performance, admitting, "We didn't play well enough, especially in the first half. It is disappointing to only take one point from this match, particularly at home. We created chances, but we need to be more clinical." Meanwhile, Heidenheim's captain Patrick Mainka praised his team's determination to come away with their first point since mid-January, stating, "I am proud of each one of our team. It was only days after our painful European exit, and this point feels hard-earned."
For Leipzig, this result left them situated sixth, still battling to secure Champions League qualification spots. The match against Heidenheim also continued their recent trend of draws, marking yet another opportunity missed to reclaim the advantage over teams above them in the standings.
The visitors, Heidenheim, remain deep within relegation troubles, now positioned at 16th and level on points with VfL Bochum. They were desperate for points after previous rounds had seen them lose track of safety.
Next, Leipzig will aim to find their form as they shift their focus to the DFB Pokal quarter-finals against VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday, hoping to gain some momentum after this frustrating draw. Coach Marco Rose will be challenged with recalibring the squad to return to their winning ways, particularly with the pressure eleveting as the Bundesliga season approaches its later stages.