BERLIN, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Getting ready for a miracle is FC Heidenheim's credo when facing Cologne in the tight relegation battle of Germany's first flight this weekend.

The bottom side (23 points, minus 31 goals) depends not only on its own performance but also on the results of its fiercest competitors, VfL Wolfsburg (26/minus 25) and St. Pauli (26/minus 28).

With two rounds of matches in the 2025/26 season remaining, staying calm is the guideline for the low-budget side of Heidenheim.

Being written off is providing an easy mindset, said their coach, Frank Schmidt, after only a victory will keep hopes alive.

The German first league's longest-serving coach recently announced that he would stay for at least another year after taking over the side in 2007 in the fifth division, sparking an unprecedented run to the top.

While Heidenheim faces Mainz in the season final in a week, Wolfsburg is set to meet the 2026 German champions, Bayern Munich, on home soil before the final act, a delicate direct duel against St. Pauli on matchday 34.

Until then, the settings might not have changed after St. Pauli's trip to face a UEFA Champions League spot competitor, Leipzig, leaving the home-game advantage against the Wolves the following week.

With the last three battling it out to reach the relegation game spot 16, the tableau's 15th, Werder Bremen (32/minus 20), isn't safe yet.

Relegation game spot 16, along with two games against the third-place team in the second division, is still possible when meeting Hoffenheim and Dortmund.

Not to mention Cologne (32/minus 8), Bremen is desperately seeking a point to secure its first-division status.

While St. Pauli's opponent, Leipzig, is aiming to secure their Champions League spot, the motivation level of Wolfsburg's rival, Bayern Munich, remains unknown after the Bavarians lost the Champions League semifinal to Paris this week.

Having already secured the 2026 league title, the German Cup final on May 23rd in Berlin against Stuttgart stands as Bayern's final highlight of the season.

Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt spoke about "a tiny chance" to turn things around after his team secured a surprising 3-3 draw in Munich, with Bayern scoring the equalizer as late as the tenth minute of extra time. ■