Borussia Dortmund came from behind to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday, reducing the gap to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to six points following the champions' draw against Hamburg the previous day. Niko Kovač's side required 98 minutes of edge-of-the-seat action before eventually seeing off their stubborn opponents.
Dortmund found themselves trailing after Heidenheim took a shock early lead through a well-worked goal. The visitors doubled their advantage through a Niehues brace, with the Austrian completing his double after Arijon Ibrahimović beat three Dortmund players in the build-up before finding his teammate on the edge of the box. The striker's shot took a slight deflection off Daniel Svensson on its way into the net.
The hosts' pressure eventually told when Niklas Dorsch was penalized for handling Yan Couto's cross inside the penalty area. Serhou Guirassy stepped up to the spot and struck his penalty at goalkeeper Ramaj, who got a strong hand to the ball but could not prevent it from finding the back of the net. The goal provided the lifeline Dortmund desperately needed.
Kovač had made five changes from the side that went down 2-0 to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday night, notably recalling Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt to the forward line. The tactical adjustments eventually paid dividends as Dortmund found their rhythm and mounted sustained pressure on the Heidenheim defense.
The comeback victory proved crucial in the context of the title race, with Bayern Munich dropping points in their 2-2 draw with Hamburg just 24 hours earlier. Dortmund now sit second in the Bundesliga table, and while the champions remain favorites to retain their crown, the gap is no longer insurmountable with significant fixtures still to come.
For Heidenheim, the defeat will be one they look back on with regret at the end of the season. Having led twice against one of Germany's biggest clubs, Frank Schmidt's side were unable to hold on for what would have been a precious three points in their battle against relegation. They remain rooted to the bottom of the table with survival looking increasingly difficult.
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