1:1 in the catch-up game: Union Berlin gets a point in the basement duel against Mainz

• Due to heavy rain, the pitch in Mainz was difficult to play on.
• Robin Gosen’s Union Berlin redeemed themselves with a volley after six Bundesliga away games without scoring their own goal.
• Union fans who had traveled with them also protested with tennis balls and bouncy balls against the planned investor entry into the DFL.
• Kevin Vogt and Janik Haberer each received their fifth yellow card of the season and will miss Union’s upcoming game against Wolfsburg.

The 1. FC Union Berlin picked up a point in the Bundesliga relegation battle, but missed out on an important win. On Wednesday evening, the Köpenickers couldn’t get past a 1-1 draw in the catch-up game on matchday 18 at Mainz 05. In the game against their opponents in the relegation battle, which was characterized by poor pitch conditions, Robin Gosens countered Mainz’s lead shortly before half-time.

Before the last game without the suspended coach Nenad Bjelica, his deputy Danijel Jumic and assistant coach Marie-Louise Eta had to improvise. They replaced the red-banned captain Christopher Trimmel and the new father Lucas Tousart with Rani Khedira and Aissa Laidouni and moved Janik Haberer to the vacant right flank. Frederik Rönnow returned in goal and Kevin Volland, who had recovered, started up front in place of the recently signed Yorbe Vertessen.

Volland got off to a strong start in particular: After a first Union shot by Benedikt Hollerbach (4th minute), the compact striker was on the ball in front of his opponent when Haberer crossed in the penalty area. The ball flew over Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner from an acute angle , but then hit the crossbar. An action that fit into an overall eventful initial phase. Union dominated this with an unusual offensive drive and the Mainz hosts also started well. In the ninth minute, Unions Rönnow prevented Berlin from falling behind early with two strong saves against Sepp van den Berg and Leandro Barreiro within a few seconds.

Shortly afterwards, things became critical again for Union: After a corner, defense chief Robin Knoche hit Mainz’s Ludovic Ajorque in the face with his foot while trying to clear the ball. Although Ajorque had moved his head slightly downwards towards the ball, Knoche had also played the ball, but his team certainly shouldn’t have complained about a penalty whistle. Overall, the scene fit the picture of a very physical game characterized by many, sometimes tough, duels.

After Union’s strong Volland hit the post with a long-range shot (39th), the game was interrupted for several minutes shortly before half-time due to a protest by Union fans against the DFL’s investor deal. Jonathan Burkardt’s 1-0 lead for the Mainz hosts only came in the eighth minute of stoppage time. At a corner, the striker rose highest and gave Rönnow no chance with a well-placed header. However, Union Berlin countered promptly: After a short throw-in, Haberer once again hit a pinpoint cross onto the far left post. Gosens flew in and, standing in the air, pushed the ball past Zentner into the near corner with a technically fine volley to make the score 1-1 at halftime.

The second half presented a completely different picture because it was initially very one-sided. While in the first half it was the Union team who had a little more of the game thanks to their improved offense and good teamwork on the wings, Mainz now dominated. Union goalkeeper Rönnow had to defuse good opportunities for the inspired hosts on several occasions. Union, on the other hand, now revealed a few more gaps defensively and hardly recorded any offensive, let alone dangerous, actions offensively.

This is probably why Union’s coaching team reacted several times, gradually bringing in Yorbe Vertessen, Diogo Leite, Alex Kral, Brenden Aaronson and Jerome Roussillon from the 63rd minute onwards. But even the quintet from the bench could only achieve little on the pitch. While Karim Onisiwo missed a great chance for Mainz with his header (73′), a clearly inaccurate finish from Vertessen was Union’s best chance in the second half. So it remained a 1-1 draw, after which Union remained in 15th place in the table.

This season you can also hear all of Hertha and Union’s league and DFB Cup games live and in full length on rbb24.de and in the rbb|24 app.

Broadcast: rbb24, February 7, 2024, 9:45 p.m