Key men in the relegation battle | OneFootball

Bundesliga relegation battle: The key men in the run-in for Heidenheim, Holstein Kiel and Bochum

With just three matches left to play and only four points separating the bottom three, the Bundesliga's race for survival is as tense and exciting as ever. But who will prove the difference makers between now and the end of the season? bundesliga.com runs you through the key men for Heidenheim, Holstein Kiel and Bochum.

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HeidenheimPosition: 16th Points: 25 (31 games)

Only one goalkeeper, Mainz's Robin Zentner (104), has made more saves than Kevin Müller's 103 this term. And while that may have something to do with Heidenheim’s at times sloppy defending, Müller also boasts a better save percentage (65.8) than Manuel Neuer, Gregor Kobel and Alexander Nübel. It’s fair to assume his team would have conceded more than the 60 they have so far without him. There’ll be plenty more to do in the coming weeks.

Kevin Müller has been busy in Heidenheim's goal this season, making some crucial saves. (IMAGO/Bernd Feil/M.i.S.)

Alongside Müller, captain Patrick Mainka is the only player to have featured in every single Bundesliga minute for Heidenheim this season – and one of only two outfield players in the division to have achieved the feat. His ever-presence isn’t for nothing. Mainka ranks fourth in the Bundesliga for aerial duels won (113), 10th for duels won (308) and in the top 25 for successful passes from open play (88.4 percent), proving that the 30-year-old is both an asset both in and out of possession, as well as leading the team as skipper.

Marvin Pieringer has bled for Heidenheim's cause this season, scoring seven times in the Bundesliga. (IMAGO/Franziska Gora)

Marvin Pieringer's nine goal involvements (seven goals, two assists) from 28 Bundesliga showings is a solid return for a player tasked with filling big boots. The loss of Tim Kleindienst to Borussia Mönchengladbach last summer was a blow to Heidenheim, with Pieringer given a starring role as a result. He responded by more than doubling his goal-scoring output this campaign but could do with rediscovering his scoring boots – he hasn’t found the net in four games.

Holstein KielPosition: 17th Points: 22 (31 games)

Machino by name, machine by nature. Kiel’s 25-year-old striker Shuto Machino has been in red-hot form, scoring 10 goals and registering two assists in 29 outings. What’s more, he’s only taken 44 shots at goal, meaning he scores one in every 4.4 attempts – roughly the same as Harry Kane (one in 4.35). He’s also scored three in the past two matchdays – coming into form at just the right time.

For a while, this was looking like a season to forget for Alexander Bernhardsson, sidelined for long periods on three separate occasions – a different injury each time. But the 26-year-old has been in sensational form since returning to Kiel’s starting XI on Matchday 27. The Swede has four goal involvements (three goals, one assist) in his last four appearances and has formed an explosive partnership with Machino. The duo’s goals could be key to survival.

Creator Steven Skrzybski has quietly enjoyed his own renaissance in the latter stages of the 2024/25 campaign. The Berlin-born midfielder managed just one assist in the first half of the season and has often been hampered by injuries but has been electric since. Six goals and another assist across 14 league appearances in 2025 is a more than respectable return. His top-flight experience with Union Berlin, Schalke and Fortuna Düsseldorf could be crucial in these closing weeks.

Bochum Position: 18th Points: 21 (31 games)

Philipp Hofmann's heroics in last season’s relegation play-offs against Düsseldorf – in which he scored two second-leg goals to help reverse a 3-0 first-leg deficit, before Bochum won on penalties – prove he’s the man for the big occasion. Six goal involvements (three goals, three assists) tell only some of this season's story. No player in Germany’s top flight can match him for aerial duels won (179), while he ranks seventh for duels won (321).

Malian Ibrahima Sissoko has been a mainstay in Bochum’s midfield this campaign, ranking second overall in the Bundesliga for duels won (353). While he doesn’t find the back of the net often, they do tend to matter when he does. The 27-year-old scored the opener against fellow strugglers Union Berlin in December (a game that finished 1-1 but was subsequently awarded as a 2-0 win for Bochum), as well as the equaliser against Bayern Munich on Matchday 25, as Bochum sealed a shock 3-2 comeback win against the juggernauts.

Despite Bochum conceding the second-most goals (63) of any Bundesliga team this season, 29-year-old Brazilian centre-back Bernardo has been solid. The left-footer ranks 15th overall for aerial duels won (87), while his distribution has also drawn praise. He was among the best players on the pitch in the 2–0 win over Heidenheim in December.

>>> Get more on the relegation battle here!

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