The Japan Times - Guirassy brace helps Dortmund move six behind Bayern

Waldemar Anton put the nervy hosts in front but Julian Niehues scored either side of half-time to give Heidenheim the lead.

Guirassy had scored just one Bundesliga goal in 10 games since October but grabbed two inside a minute to put Dortmund back in front.

Guirassy missed a late penalty but Dortmund, who were 11 points behind Bayern at Christmas, held on to drag themselves back into the title race. Dortmund host Bayern in late February.

Dortmund looked fearful despite facing last-placed Heidenheim. Anton put the hosts in front in scrappy fashion, tapping in after Heidenheim goalie Diant Ramaj spilled a corner.

The hosts switched off and Heidenheim pounced, Niehues tapping in after a failed Dortmund clearance deep into first-half stoppage time.

Niehues struck once more after half-time, blasting a long-range shot into the far corner.

Dortmund were handed a lifeline when VAR found a Niklas Dorsch handball in the box.

With first-choice penalty taker Emre Can out with illness, Dortmund captain Nico Schlotterbeck handed the ball to Guirassy, who snuck his shot inside the post.

With a taste for goal, Guirassy put Dortmund in front with a low shot at the near post a minute later.

Guirassy had a chance to make it a hat-trick when called to the penalty spot again with five minutes remaining but he chipped well over the crossbar.

- Stuttgart go fourth -

Ermedin Demirovic unleashed a thunderbolt in the 90th minute to send Stuttgart into the top four with a 1-0 home win over Freiburg in the Bundesliga.

RB Leipzig's home defeat by Mainz on Saturday left the door open for the German Cup holders climb into the Champions League places.

Stuttgart were in complete control but were kept at bay until the final minute, when substitute Demirovic latched onto a Deniz Undav pass and hit a dipping effort just under the bar.

The win takes Stuttgart, who were drawn to face Scottish champions Celtic in the knockout play-off round of the Europa League on Friday, three points clear of Leipzig in fourth spot.

"What can you say?" Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness told DAZN about Demirovic's goal. "It was beautiful. There were some other nice things, but the goal was simply world-class."

Stuttgart peppered Freiburg's goal in the opening half but somehow failed to break through.

Undav had a shot cleared off the line by defender Matthias Ginter before the half-hour and blasted wide minutes later with just goalkeeper Noah Atubolu to beat.

Atubolu kept Bilal El Khannouss out after the break while one-on-one with the Moroccan.

Demirovic, brought off the bench with 13 minutes remaining, took a touch from an Undav pass and fired Stuttgart in front. The goal was Demirovic's 50th in the Bundesliga but his first from outside the box.

Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel ensured the hosts claimed all three points with a superb reflex save from Bruno Ogbus in stoppage time.

K.Inoue--JT