Marvin Pieringer

Key strength: Link-up play

Target man

In the crucible of a relegation battle, 26-year-old Marvin Pieringer finds himself shouldering the attacking burden for a 1. FC Heidenheim side desperately searching for answers. Rock bottom at 18th place, Die Schnitzer have mustered just one point from their last four outings—a grim run of three consecutive defeats followed by a draw that has alarm bells ringing in Baden-Württemberg. The German centre-forward, valued at €4.5m, arrived with expectations of leading the line, but Heidenheim's struggles in front of goal have been glaring. With limited service and a squad still finding its feet in top-flight football, Pieringer's role becomes ever more critical as the winter break approaches. The former Freiburg academy graduate will need to rediscover his scoring touch—and fast—if Heidenheim are to engineer a great escape. In a team where no player stands above a 70 rating, Pieringer has the opportunity to become the difference-maker. But time is ticking, and the gap to safety is widening with every defeat.