Nigerian-born striker Karim Adeyemi delivered an outstanding performance, scoring two goals and assisting another as Borussia Dortmund defeated Heidenheim 4-2 at home in a thrilling Bundesliga encounter on Friday.
Dortmund raced to an early 2-0 lead within the first 17 minutes, with Adeyemi proving instrumental. After Heidenheim’s Marvin Pieringer pulled one back, Adeyemi quickly restored the two-goal advantage just two minutes later with his second strike.
Heidenheim, who made their Bundesliga debut last season, refused to give up, cutting the deficit to 3-2 through a Maximilian Breuning penalty late in the second half. This evoked memories of last season’s fixture when Dortmund squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 against the same opponents.
However, Dortmund managed to weather Heidenheim’s late pressure and secured the victory in injury time with a penalty calmly converted by captain Emre Can.
Reflecting on the match, Can told DAZN, “It got a bit tight when Heidenheim scored late, and you start thinking about last year’s result, but we stayed in control and deserved the win.”
Heidenheim’s coach, Frank Schmidt, praised his team for their resilience, stating, “We flipped the switch and got back into the match, but we gave it away in the first 25 minutes.”
Adeyemi, fresh off a hat-trick in Germany U21’s 10-1 win over Estonia, expressed his delight with his performance and team’s win. “I took a lot of confidence from the U21s, and the coach trusted me. I’m happy we got the three points, and we need to keep this momentum going,” he said.
Heidenheim, who came into the game atop the Bundesliga table after winning their first two fixtures, had kept a perfect defensive record this season before facing Dortmund. However, Adeyemi’s brilliance saw them concede three first-half goals.
The 22-year-old set up Dortmund’s first goal just 12 minutes in, finding Donyell Malen, who slotted the ball through a crowded penalty area. Five minutes later, Adeyemi found the net himself, curling in a pass from Julian Brandt to double Dortmund’s lead.
Heidenheim fought back through Pieringer’s low strike, but Adeyemi soon restored Dortmund’s two-goal cushion, capitalizing on a clever pass from debutant Serhou Guirassy.
In the second half, Heidenheim pressed for an equalizer, and a foul by Dortmund’s Niklas Suele led to a penalty that Breuning converted, bringing the score to 3-2. Heidenheim’s hopes of maintaining their unbeaten start to the season were dashed when a late handball in the box gave Dortmund another penalty, which Can converted to secure the win.
Dortmund now sits atop the Bundesliga table, one point ahead of Heidenheim.
The Bundesliga action continues on Saturday, with champions Bayer Leverkusen visiting Hoffenheim, and Bayern Munich traveling to face newly promoted Holstein Kiel.
