Overview

• SV Elversberg, from the smallest municipality ever to contest Bundesliga promotion, faces 1. FC Heidenheim in the first leg of the relegation playoff at 20:30 local time.
• Elversberg finished third in the 2. Bundesliga, earning their first-ever shot at top-flight football, while Heidenheim narrowly avoided direct relegation from the Bundesliga.
• The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Sven Jablonski as the referee for the match, marking his first time officiating an Elversberg game.
• Both clubs feature long-serving coaches, with Frank Schmidt leading Heidenheim for nearly 18 years and Horst Steffen managing Elversberg for almost seven years.
• A successful promotion for Elversberg would mark the first Bundesliga representation from Saarland in 32 years, highlighting the regional significance of the matchup.