Alexander Prass at the double as Hoffenheim down Heidenheim
Alexander Prass' brace helped Hoffenheim return to winning ways as they strengthened their grip on third in style with a dominant away victory over bottom club Heidenheim, who are now 12 games without a win.
Heidenheim 2-4 Hoffenheim
Goals: 0-1 Prass 26’ (assist: Asllani), 0-2 Prass 45’+1 (assist: Kramarić), 0-3 Asllani 49’, 1-3 Kerber 63’ (assist: Schöppner), 1-4 Lemperle 78’ (assist: Toure), 2-4 Kerber 84’ (assist: Behrens)
Heidenheim, winless in their last 11 Bundesliga matches, faced an uphill battle against a Hoffenheim side pushing for European football next season.
Despite being without head coach Christian Ilzer through illness – assistant Moritz Volz deputised on the touchline – the visitors were clear favourites heading into the fixture, having never lost to their opponents in five previous meetings.
Prass puts visitors in command
Despite their position at the foot of the table, Frank Schmidt's Heidenheim started brightly and matched their high-flying opponents in the early stages. The home side enjoyed good spells of possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances, failing to register a shot on target in the first half.
Hoffenheim gradually took control and broke the deadlock in the 26th minute through Prass. The Austrian played a neat one-two with Fisnik Asllani, who provided a delightful backheel return pass, before unleashing a stunning left-footed strike into the top corner from 19 metres.
Heidenheim nearly responded immediately when a free-kick caused chaos in the Hoffenheim box, but Bernardo made a crucial clearance off the line. Prass doubled his tally and Hoffenheim's lead in first-half stoppage time, calmly slotting past Diant Ramaj after being played through by Andrej Kramarić.
Hoffenheim extend lead before Heidenheim fight back
Schmidt introduced brothers Christian Conteh and Sirlord Conteh at half-time, but Hoffenheim extended their lead just four minutes after the restart. Leon Avdullahu's initial shot was parried by Ramaj, but Asllani was quickest to react, firing in the rebound to make it 3-0.
Despite the scoreline, Heidenheim refused to surrender and pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute when Luca Kerber poked home from close range following Hennes Behrens' long throw-in. The hosts thought they had reduced the deficit further when C. Conteh found the net, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside in the build-up.
Hoffenheim effectively sealed the points in the 78th minute when substitute Tim Lemperle scored with his first meaningful touch, tapping in at the far post after Bazoumana Toure's incisive run and cross before Kerber grabbed his second goal of the game with a header from Behrens' corner in the 84th minute, but it proved to be merely a consolation.
Man of the Match: Alexander Prass
The Austrian midfielder was the standout performer, scoring twice in the first half to set Hoffenheim on their way to victory. His first goal showcased exceptional technique, curling a left-footed shot into the top corner after a clever exchange with Asllani.
Prass's second came at a crucial time just before the break, effectively doubling Hoffenheim's advantage when Heidenheim were pushing for an equaliser.
Beyond his goals, the 23-year-old was a constant threat throughout, registering five shots (the most of any player) and covering 13.4 kilometres. His clinical finishing was particularly impressive, with his first goal coming from a chance with just a 9.45% probability of being scored.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Hoffenheim 2.74 - Heidenheim 0.43
Fastest player: Bazoumana Toure (Hoffenheim), 35.64 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-1 by Alexander Prass (Hoffenheim), 9 percent
Most pressed player: Fisnik Asllani (Hoffenheim), 20 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), +3.22
Fantasy Heroes: Alexander Prass (Hoffenheim, 469 Points), Fisnik Asllani (Hoffenheim, 326 Points), Luca Kerber (Heidenheim, 354 Points)
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