Last Updated on April 20, 2026 9:41 am by ZUWP Automation
SC Freiburg 2-1 Heidenheim: Vincenzo Grifo assists both goals as the hosts recover from a second-half equaliser to claim three points at Europa-Park Stadion
For a spell after the hour mark, Heidenheim had every right to believe they were about to pull off something significant. They had come from behind, levelled the match, and were pressing a Freiburg side that had not lost in five. Then Vincenzo Grifo picked up the ball with seven minutes left in normal time, and the visitors’ hopes unravelled.
Maximilian Eggestein’s 83rd-minute winner, supplied by Grifo’s second assist of the afternoon, settled a match that had shifted twice and rewarded Freiburg’s persistence. Three wins from their last five, no defeats: the hosts are in the kind of form that quietly accumulates points.
How It Unfolded
Freiburg took the lead on 24 minutes through Johan Manzambi, finishing with his right foot from a Vincenzo Grifo delivery. It was a composed moment from a side that had been building through the match, and it reflected the pattern of early play: Freiburg purposeful, Heidenheim yet to find their footing in an away fixture they clearly needed from.
Heidenheim came out for the second half with intent. Their manager had seen enough at the break, and a substitution was made immediately at the restart, Budu Zivzivadze entering the fray. The change paid dividends almost immediately. On 58 minutes, Zivzivadze converted with his left foot, assisted by Mathias Honsak, to level at 1-1. It was a goal that shifted the entire complexion of the afternoon. A side that had arrived with a mixed recent record, one win and two defeats in their previous four, had fought their way back into the contest.
The equaliser injected urgency into Freiburg’s play. Freiburg had already made a triple substitution at 68 minutes, and the bench changes added fresh legs at a critical juncture. It was the kind of tactical flexibility that the match demanded. Still, Heidenheim held firm for twenty-five minutes, and there were moments when the draw looked the likeliest outcome.
Then came the decisive passage. Grifo, who had already shaped the match once with his assist for Manzambi, delivered again. On 83 minutes, Eggestein met his ball and finished right-footed to make it 2-1. The Europa-Park Stadion had its winner. Heidenheim, who had worked so hard to get back level, had no answer in the time that remained.
The Grifo Factor
Vincenzo Grifo’s numbers told the story of Freiburg’s attacking output. Two assists, four chances created, two of which were big chances, and two shots of his own, one of which struck the woodwork. He completed 21 of 27 passes and carried a match rating of 7.94, the highest on the pitch for either side. His xG of 0.04 from his own shooting understates his contribution entirely: this was a performance built on creation, not finishing.
The player who benefited most from Grifo’s work in the second half was Eggestein. His goal came from a single shot, converting from an xG of 0.18, and his 41 accurate passes from 45 attempts gave Freiburg a reliable axis in midfield throughout. A rating of 7.56 reflected a composed, efficient afternoon’s work.
Heidenheim’s Bright Moments
Heidenheim had the better of the possession, 54 per cent to Freiburg’s 46, and their 107 attacks to Freiburg’s 76 suggested they were not simply defending. Their 28 total crosses, seven of which were accurate, indicated a willingness to work the wide areas, and the player wearing number 22 was central to that: three key chances created, three accurate crosses from eight attempts, and a rating of 7.08 despite the defeat.
Yet the numbers that defined Heidenheim’s afternoon were the ones in the wrong column. Two big chances missed. Their substitute Zivzivadze, who scored the equaliser, also carried an xG of 0.30 from his shots, and the late substitute wearing number 9 accumulated an xG of 0.46 in just 18 minutes without troubling the scoreboard. That is 0.76 xG from those two players alone, without a second goal to show for it. The goalkeeper at the other end made only one save all match. Heidenheim created enough to draw; they did not create enough to win.
The Heidenheim captain, playing in the centre of defence, won five of his twelve aerial duels and completed 34 of 40 passes at 85 per cent accuracy. He was one of the more composed figures in a visiting side that ultimately ran out of time.
Freiburg’s Defensive Resolve
Freiburg’s back line absorbed Heidenheim’s second-half pressure without breaking again. The centre-back wearing number 28 was particularly prominent: ten duels won from fourteen, six clearances, five aerials won, and a last-man tackle that underlined how close Heidenheim came at moments. His 48 passes, 36 accurate, kept Freiburg’s build-up ticking even as the visitors pushed forward. A rating of 7.41 reflected a performance that combined defensive solidity with contribution in possession.
Final Verdict
SC Freiburg’s unbeaten run now stretches to five matches, with three wins and two draws. Heidenheim, who had shown genuine resilience to equalise and sustain pressure through the second half, leave with nothing despite carrying more of the ball and generating their share of chances. The standings data does not provide a precise points gap, but the direction of travel is clear enough: Freiburg are accumulating, and Heidenheim’s inconsistency, one win from their last five before today, continues to cost them. Grifo’s influence on both goals was the difference between a draw and a Freiburg win, and on afternoons like this, one creative player in form can make everything else secondary.