Buendia's Stoppage-Time Winner Keeps Leverkusen's Bundesliga Hopes Alive

Bayer Leverkusen secured a crucial 1-0 win over Heidenheim, with Emiliano Buendia scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time to keep their Bundesliga title defence on track.

Emiliano Buendia scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to seal a 1-0 victory for Bayer Leverkusen over Heidenheim, keeping their Bundesliga title defense alive. Buendia's 91st-minute strike marked his first goal for Leverkusen, and it proved to be the decisive moment in a tightly contested match.

Heidenheim had a dismal record at home against the top seven teams in the Bundesliga this season, losing all five matches without scoring a single goal. However, they sensed an opportunity to turn their fortunes around against a Leverkusen side reeling from a shocking DFB-Pokal defeat to third-tier Arminia Bielefeld in midweek.

Heidenheim, led by Frank Schmidt, started the match on the front foot, posing a significant threat to Bayer Leverkusen's defense. In the early stages, Adrian Beck found himself with space on the inside left, but he hesitated, unsure whether to cross or shoot, ultimately doing neither effectively, much to the relief of the Leverkusen defense.

Heidenheim continued to press, with Frans Kratzig finding space down the same flank, but his shot sailed wide. The biggest scare for Leverkusen came in the 26th minute when a corner fell to Benedikt Gimber at the near post. Gimber showcased impressive balance, turning and shooting, only to be denied by the crossbar and then the post. Heidenheim's talisman, Marvin Pieringer, then squandered a pair of promising chances. Meanwhile, Amine Adli reminded Heidenheim of Leverkusen's quality with a drilled effort that narrowly missed the target.

As expected, Heidenheim's attacking intensity waned after the restart, having earned the fewest points of any Bundesliga side on their home turf prior to the match. However, Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen side failed to capitalize on this, unable to register a single shot in the opening 25 minutes of the second half.

GET. IN. THERE! 🔥

90+3' | 0-1 | #FCHB04 pic.twitter.com/sKePAUF0K0

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 5, 2025

Leverkusen's top scorer, Patrik Schick, was brought on as a substitute in an attempt to snatch a result that their performance hadn't deserved. However, it was fellow substitute Emiliano Buendia who made the decisive impact. The Argentine produced a moment of brilliance, curling a stunning strike past Kevin Müller to secure a 1-0 win for Leverkusen. This late goal marked Leverkusen's fourth consecutive head-to-head win over Heidenheim, keeping them within six points of league leaders Bayern Munich.

The loss marked Heidenheim's first defeat in four matches, leaving them three points adrift of safety in the Bundesliga standings. Meanwhile, Leverkusen's victory kept their title hopes alive, albeit still six points behind Bayern Munich.