Late Heidenheim goal secures promotion to break Hamburg hearts

Former European champion Hamburg won 1-0 at Sandhausen and stormed the pitch with Heidenheim trailing 2-1 at the same time, believing it was headed back to the top division after five years in the second division.

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: Heidenheim turned the promotion race on its head, scoring in the third and ninth minute of stoppage time to win 3-2 and secure automatic promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in its history. | Photo Credit: AIFF

Heidenheim secured promotion to the Bundesliga with two injury-time goals, overtaking German giant Hamburg which thought it had clinched a return to the top flight just minutes earlier on Sunday.

Former European champion Hamburg won 1-0 at Sandhausen and stormed the pitch with Heidenheim trailing 2-1 at the same time, believing it was headed back to the top division after five years in the second division.

Heidenheim, however, turned the promotion race on its head, scoring in the third and ninth minute of stoppage time to win 3-2 and secure automatic promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in its history.

Third-placed Hamburg will now play in the relegation playoff for the second consecutive season, taking on Stuttgart, which finished third-last in the top division, in a two-legged tie.