Wael Mohya on target as Borussia Mönchengladbach draw with Heidenheim
Rising star Wael Mohya was on target as Borussia Mönchengladbach moved a step closer to safety with a draw against bottom side Heidenheim.
Gladbach 2-2 Heidenheim Goals: 1-0 Mohya 16' (assist: Castrop), 1-1 Mainka 26' (assist: Dorsch), 1-2 Busch 64', 2-2 Honorat 74' (assist: Machino)
Gladbach entered this crucial relegation battle having taken seven points from their last four matches, with their only defeat coming against Bayern Munich.
Heidenheim, on the other hand, arrived in desperate form, winless in 14 Bundesliga matches and rooted to the bottom of the table, nine points from safety. Head coach Frank Schmidt responded with four changes, as Marvin Pieringer returned to partner Budu Zivzivadze in attack, while Jonas Föhrenbach started for the first time since Matchday 19.
Heidenheim started the brighter of the two teams with Eren Dinkçi testing the reflexes of Moritz Nicolas early on. But it was the hosts who struck first in the 16th minute when Jens Castrop found space on the right and played a clever ball to Wael Mohya, whose shot squirmed under the body of Diant Ramaj into the net.
Heidenheim flip the script
Heidenheim responded well to falling behind and equalised 10 minutes later when Patrick Mainka powered home a header from Niklas Dorsch's free-kick delivery. The visitors grew in confidence and nearly took the lead just before half-time when Nicolas made a brilliant save to deny Mainka a second goal.
The pattern continued after the break, with Heidenheim looking the more threatening side. The pressure paid off in the 64th minute when Marnon Busch fired home from inside the area to give his side the lead. Remarkably, it was Busch's first Bundesliga goal in 11 years, six months and 12 days – the second-longest gap between goals in Bundesliga history.
Honorat to the rescue
Gladbach head coach Eugen Polanski responded by introducing Kevin Stöger, Florian Neuhaus, Haris Tabaković and Hugo Bolin from the bench, and the changes revitalised the hosts.
The Foals' equaliser arrived in the 74th minute when Franck Honorat fired home from close range after good work from Shuto Machino.
The home side pushed hard for a winner in the closing stages, but were denied by several excellent saves from Ramaj, particularly from Tabaković and Bolin.
With six games remaining, Gladbach stay six points clear of the bottom three. Heidenheim are eight points adrift at the foot of the table.
Man of the Match: Wael Mohya
Mohya continued to show his immense potential with another impressive performance for the Foals. The 17-year-old midfielder scored his first goal at Borussia Park, having already opened his account on Matchday 25 against Bayern.
His early goal set the tone for what became an entertaining contest, and though he was substituted midway through the second half, his contribution was crucial in helping Gladbach secure a valuable point.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Gladbach 0.45 - Heidenheim 1.6
Fastest player: Eren Dinkçi (Heidenheim), 33.86 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 1-2 by Marnon Busch (Heidenheim), 10.38 percent
Most pressed player: Jens Castrop (Gladbach), 17 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Kevin Diks (Gladbach), 2.1
Fantasy Heroes: Patrick Mainka (Heidenheim 1846, 395 Points), Jens Castrop (Gladbach, 245 Points), Franck Honorat (Gladbach, 224 Points)
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