FC Heidenheim gained promotion to the Bundesliga after winning the second division last season. This was the first time that the team got promoted to the first division. They have made a decent start to the campaign and the only aim for the players and the coach this season will be to guarantee promotion. Teams like Heidenheim will need crucial performances from every player in some of the matches.
One such player who has delivered in the promotion run and is delivering at the moment is former Borussia Dortmund academy graduate Jan-Niklas Beste. Beste made his competitive debut for the senior squad on 12 August 2017. He never made an appearance in the Bundesliga for Dortmund and was sold to Werder Bremen. The 24-year-old struggled for game time and was loaned out to a couple of other clubs. Last season, FC Heidenheim secured Beste’s signing on a three-year deal. Here are the stats that show why this German forward is the biggest hope for Heidenheim’s survival.
Jan-Niklas Beste starts on the left flank for his side. His progression chart shows that Beste is a player who likes to stretch the defence with his wide runs and there are only a few occasions when he tries to penetrate the opposition’s defence with these runs. The 24-year-old averages 2.5 progressive runs per 90 minutes.
Finding the back of the net
Beste played a crucial role in FC Heidenheim’s promotion run after scoring 12 goals in the second division. Averaging around two shots per 90 minutes, the player attempted 63 shots and had a 41.3% accuracy rate. He managed to find space in front of the goal and targeted the corners to score goals.
The player has shown tremendous form in the Bundesliga as well. He has already netted five goals and had a chance to add another but missed a penalty. Jan-Niklas Beste’s shot average is around 1.74 per 90 minutes and 47.4% of these shots have been on target. Once again, the player has found the corner of the net.
Another reason why FC Heidenheim have a lot of hopes is because of his ability to create goals for his teammates. Last season, Beste provided 14 assists and this season he already has four to his name. Most of these were from corners and few came from passes into the penalty box.
Jean-Niklas Beste will aim to add more goals and assists to his name. Big teams will be keeping an eye on him and secure his signing next summer.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine