20th matchday
Union celebrates victory in the game of Bayern pursuers
The top game in the Bundesliga goes to Union Berlin. photo
© Robert Michael/dpa
The game between Leipzig and Union Berlin is mainly determined by fighting. A penalty helps the guests to win after falling behind.
The Berlin top game winners were still jumping on the lawn for joy. It was almost amazing that they still had the strength to do it.
With a dream goal, a penalty and an enormous amount of effort, 1. FC Union Berlin drew 2-1 (0-1) at cup winners RB Leipzig and consolidated their position as Bayern’s number one pursuer. The people of Leipzig, on the other hand, lost for the fifth time in a row in the Bundesliga against Union – and trotted off the lawn correspondingly disappointed.
Khedira: development “surreal”
“It’s a development that nobody could have imagined,” said Rani Khedira on Sky. “We have the 20th matchday and 42 points, that’s a bit surreal. That’s unbelievable morale. It wasn’t a nice win, it wasn’t a deserved win, but it was a victory for morale.”
Janik Haberer (61st minute) and Robin Knoche (72nd) with a hand penalty turned the game around in front of 47,069 spectators after Benjamin Henrichs (24th) had given the hosts the lead. Union is still just one point behind Munich, for Leipzig a series of 18 games ended without defeat. RB is only fifth in the table. The Leipzig pros were annoyed about the denial of a supposed goal in the final phase.
The supporters in the Berlin block caused trouble in the middle of the second half. On three banners they attacked the Leipzig sports director Max Eberl because of his burnout illness. The 49-year-old was similarly insulted with posters at the game in Cologne last week.
Leipzig with a trick and leadership
RB had special jerseys inspired by the fan hit “Leipzig on fire” specially made for the game. The stadium was illuminated in red. But at first nothing blazed during the performance on the lawn. Both teams played in similar systems with a back three and neutralized each other accordingly. The biggest topic of conversation was the trick of RB coach Marco Rose, who put left-back Marcel Halstenberg on the right wing and Henrichs on the left.
Whatever the plan was – it worked. Henrichs moved into the middle, Union’s new winter signing Josip Juranovic did not intervene. So Henrichs, who has been playing in top form for weeks, just pulled away from a good 18 meters – the lead.
At this point, the fans of the Berliners had already been busy with their entertainment program for almost ten minutes. The viewers of the Köpenickers had traditionally been silent in the first quarter of an hour. It should be a protest against the existence of the opponent. Even Union coach Urs Fischer had noticed before the game that he actually didn’t like it at all.
Play often distracted and combative
With Henrich’s goal, the first half was almost over, because the game fell back into its old inconsistent and one-on-one pattern. The hosts could have had chances with a little more precision in attacking play. But national player Timo Werner in particular made an unfortunate impression at first, lacking timing, game overview and ball control. Leipzig enjoyed 55 percent possession of the ball until the break, Union only came to a conclusion. Sheraldo Becker’s attempt from a tight angle was defused by Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswich (38′).
To the chagrin of the fans, things didn’t really get any better. It was only Juranovic’s free kick, which was surprisingly aimed at goal, that caused the hello-awake effect, at least for Union. In the corner that followed, Haberer found himself alone in the penalty area and threw the rebound into the corner. Leipzig was punished for the management mode, Rose had warned about the Berlin standards before the game.
Ten minutes later it got even better for Berlin. Mohamed Simakan handed the ball out of the penalty area, referee Daniel Schlager gave a penalty. Knoche converted safely into the middle. Substitute Yussuf Poulsen celebrated the equalizer in the 78th minute. But the video assistant pointed out to Schlager that Werner had been offside beforehand, the goal didn’t count.