Frank Schmidt, Heidenheim's seasoned manager, didn't mince words back in March. "One miracle isn't enough to stay up, it would take two," he declared after a painful loss to Werder left his team eight points adrift of the relegation playoff spot. Fast forward a few weeks, and one striker has breathed new life into that seemingly impossible dream.

Enter Budu Zivzivadze. For much of this season, the Georgian forward could barely find the target. A red card suspension and nagging knee problems sidelined him for months, leaving Heidenheim's attack toothless. But when the pressure hit its peak—what Sir Alex Ferguson famously called "squeaky bum time"—Zivzivadze stepped up. He's scored three goals in the last three matches, turning the season's final stretch into a thrilling chase.

Take the "all or nothing" clash against St. Pauli. Just three minutes in, Zivzivadze forced the ball over the line from a corner, putting his side up 1-0. Heidenheim held on for a 2-0 win—a result that staved off certain relegation. Suddenly, the gap to St. Pauli in the playoff spot shrank to just four points. Hope, once extinguished, flickered back to life.

For Schmidt, that first miracle has already happened. Between December 13, 2025, and April 11, 2026, Heidenheim went winless in the Bundesliga. They'd play well against top teams, only to fall short by the narrowest of margins. It was demoralizing, a cycle of near-misses that seemed endless. Then Zivzivadze started scoring.

In a 3-1 win over Union Berlin three weeks ago, Mathias Honsak had bagged a brace, but Leopold Querfeld pulled one back in the 75th minute. For a team so fragile, panic could have set in. Instead, Zivzivadze—fresh off the bench—calmed the storm. His presence turned anxiety into belief.

With three matchdays left, Heidenheim can still dare to dream. And if Zivzivadze keeps this form, that second miracle might just be within reach.