Schmidt cites Pieringer injury as reason for loss

Despite the fact that his team has actually won its last two UEFA Europa Conference League fixtures against Hearts and Pafos FC, the league and cup form of Frank Schmidt's 1. FC Heidenheim leaves much to be desired. In just their second ever season in the German top flight, Schmidt's Albogeners haven't won a league fixture since besting Mainz at the end of December.

After gleaning just one point from league opponents Leipzig, Gladbach, Hoffenheim, Kiel, Wolfsburg, and Leverkusen, the BaWü borderers presently find themselves just two points above the relegation playoff place. Matters do not get any easier with matches against Frankfurt, Bayern, and Stuttgart on tap before the international break. The cup loss against Hertha also still stings.

Speaking to the Sky mics after the game, Schmidt cited an early injury to striker Marvin Pieringer as one reason why his team wasn't able to hold onto a two-goal lead against Leverkusen on Saturday afternoon. Things fell apart after Pieringer's subbing off in the 28th. Within four minutes, the defending champs had leveled things up with two goals. Xabi Alonso's Werkself would go on to score five unanswered goals.

"The game changed after the injury," Schmidt remarked in his post-match interview with Sky Germany afterwards, "There was a three-minute breather and Leverkusen took advantage of that. At first it was perfect. We were on the ball. Then everything changed."

"We're missing the bit between our teeth," Schmidt added at the post-match presser, "We don't have the winners' mentality. After the Pieringer injury, we just weren't present. We didn't defend forcefully,"

"This absolute will to win every duel that I saw at the beginning wasn't there anymore," Schmidt carried on during his press conference soliloquy, "The feeling that every player was confident at his position was gone."

"And I think that this three-minute break allowed Leverkusen to start over," Schmidt concluded, "They effectively started from scratch. That's the reason we lost. We don't have an excuse for losing, but we did have it right at the beginning."