Adeyemi stars as Dortmund beats Heidenheim

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ADDS Schmidt, Can and Adeyemi Quotes

Karim Adeyemi scored a double in the first half and set up Donyell Malen as Borussia Dortmund survived a final scare to beat Heidenheim 4-2 at home on Friday.

Dortmund took a 2-0 lead after 17 minutes and Adeyemi was on hand to score the third goal, just two minutes after Heidenheim had hit back through Marvin Pieringer.

Heidenheim reduced the deficit to one goal towards the end of the second half through a penalty from Maximilian Breuning, bringing back bad memories for Dortmund of the same game last year, when they gave away a 2-0 lead and played a 2-2 draw.

Dortmund withstood a wave of attacks from Heidenheim and made the result perfect in injury time with a penalty from Emre Can.

Dortmund captain Can told DAZN that when Heidenheim scored just before the end, “it got a bit tight and you start to think about what happened last year,” but said: “We kept control and deserved to win.”

Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt praised his team for “flipping the switch” to get back into the game, but also said that “we gave it away in the first 25 minutes.”

“I gained a lot of confidence from the U21s,” Adeyemi told DAZN.

“The coach trusted me and I wanted to show him that I was there. I'm happy and we got the three points – let's keep going like this.”

Outsider Heidenheim, who were promoted for the first time last season, travelled to Dortmund as league leaders and were one of only three teams to win their opening two games.

Both teams were the only Bundesliga teams this season that had not conceded a single goal going into the match. However, by halftime there were already four goals – three for the home team, with Adeyemi involved in each one.

Adeyemi had just scored a hat-trick in Germany U21s' 10-1 win over Estonia on Wednesday and he set up Dortmund's first goal in the 12th minute, which Malen finished in the crowded penalty area.

Just five minutes later, the 22-year-old scored himself when he converted a pass from Julian Brandt and doubled Dortmund's lead.

Dortmund were doing well, but Heidenheim struck back. Pieringer sank a low shot and reduced the deficit. The visitors' joy did not last long, however, as debutant Serhou Guirassy let the ball roll through his legs into the path of Adeyemi, who restored the two-goal lead.

In the second half, the hosts tried to take the fear out of the game, but Süle caused a lame penalty with a tackle on Mikkel Kaufmann on the edge of the box, and Breuning sent Gregor Kobel into the wrong corner to reduce the deficit.

Heidenheim pushed forward in the hope of maintaining their unlikely unbeaten start to the 2024–25 season, but Heidenheim caused a handball penalty following a corner, which Can coolly converted to secure the win for the home side.

Dortmund ends Friday evening at the top of the Bundesliga table, one point ahead of Heidenheim.

On Saturday, champions Bayer Leverkusen will play away at Hoffenheim, while Bayern Munich will travel to newly promoted Holstein Kiel.