Bundesliga up-to-date: Union draws level with FC Bayern for the time being – sport

Hertha BSC – 1. FC Union Berlin 0: 2 (0: 1), Goals: 0-1 Danilho Doekhi (44′), 0-2 Paul Seguin (67′)

1. FC Union Berlin is always exactly one set piece away from the lead. You know that, eleven goals after dead balls are in the statistics, it is the most in the league ahead of Leipzig (10) and Wolfsburg (9). Hertha BSC only scored once after a corner kick or a free kick, the worst value in the league, but shortly before the break in the cold Olympic Stadium it was all about preventing the opponent from scoring. Did not work. In the 43rd minute Christopher Trimmel crossed high and wide into the box, Danilho Doekhi wasn’t even particularly free, he simply pushed through and headed the lead after a largely uneventful first half.

And if there’s another thing that Union knows all too well, it’s that Sheraldo Becker is very fast. After a duel between Marc-Oliver Kempf and Rani Khedira in their own penalty area, Union won the ball and Becker ran unstoppably across the pitch and hung up for Paul Seguin. Referee Felix Brych looked at the Kempf/Khedira duel again – but tended not to decide on a foul and recognized the goal.

So for Hertha the whole misery continues, 17th place is the reality and the rival from the other side of town is tied with FC Bayern for the time being. You really have to read the sentence twice at the start of the second half of the season. Before the game, Union President Dirk Zingler was asked about a transfer rumor. Isco, Spanish dribbler and five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, is currently without a contract and should be an issue at Union. Zingler didn’t say anything about it, but there probably wouldn’t be a place for him in the starting XI anyway – that’s how it works.

SV Werder Bremen – VfL Wolfsburg 2: 1 (1: 0), Goals: 1: 0 Niclas Füllkrug (24th, hand penalty after video evidence), 2: 0 Niclas Füllkrug (77th), 2: 1 Kevin Paredes (90th)

The duel between the Werkself from Wolfsburg, who have been unbeaten in ten games, against the worst team in the last four games began almost befittingly: Wimmer penetrated into the Bremen penalty area and goalkeeper Pavlenka, who had been unsure of himself several times, just got his legs together after less than 50 seconds to avoid a tunnel. After that, Bremen almost never played like a club that has recently conceded 17 goals in four games: solid at the back, they attacked with brains and heart and soul. In the 20th minute, Stage forced VfL goalkeeper Casteels to make a save. A few seconds later, Gerhardt from Wolfsburg got a ball from close range – there could be no question of intention or advantage, but referee Siebert nevertheless awarded a penalty minutes later, which Niclas Füllkrug safely converted to 1:0 against the notorious penalty killer Casteels ( 24.).

Both teams then whistled largely on the defensive and came up with various great chances. In the 32nd minute the ball was in the Bremen goal after a confusing situation, but a centimeter decision offside prevented the equalizer or a penalty.

After the break, the guests took control of the game without becoming dangerous. Werder looked at it calmly – and made the decision with a fine attack: Weiser moved from the goal line back to the goal area, where Füllkrug scored dryly to make it 2-0. Was that the decision? No, because Paredes shortened with a long-range shot (90th), and referee Siebert allowed a full six minutes to be replayed. But there was only a pack formation – but no goal.

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – Borussia Monchengladbach 1: 4 (0: 2), Goals: 0: 1 Jonas Hofmann (12th), 0: 2 Jonas Hofmann (37th, according to video evidence), 1: 2 Ihlas Bebou (80th), 1: 3 Lars Stindl (83rd), 1: 4 Hannes Wolf (90+1.)

(Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

In mid-October 2022, TSG Hoffenheim was fourth in the table, yes, that was this season. Since then, the club has not won, has lost six of the last eight games, and after the 4-1 loss to Gladbacher Borussia, who have also played well under plan up to now, one can start to wonder whether André Breitenreiter will still be the coach of TSG at the end of the season. On the other hand, Daniel Farke should experience a quiet(er) week on the Lower Rhine.

Decisive on Saturday: At Gladbach, Marcus Thuram, Lars Stindl and Jonas Hofmann, who were missing last, were back in the team, and Christoph Kramer also played, although he lost again during the week in the bitter away defeat in Augsburg (0-1). had suffered a concussion. It wasn’t until the twelfth minute that there was a shot on target (Bischof for Hoffenheim), but there was only a countable counter-attack, in which a diagonal pass from Stindl exposed the TSG team that had moved far up the field. Jonas Hofmann skilfully picked up the ball and defeated Baumann with a solid low shot from the edge of the penalty area into the near corner (12′). Immediately after the restart, Baumgartner got the ball against Gladbach’s intoxicated defense and rounded goalkeeper Omlin, but Itakura saved just before the goal line.

The hustle and bustle that followed, which was quite sleepy, was only interrupted twice before the break: by a rabid foul by Angeliño on Kramer (17th) – and by the second collaboration between Stindl (pass) and Hofmann (placed low shot), after which the score was 0:2 (37th). A goal-oriented rearing up of Hoffenheim was hardly noticeable after the change. It looked better when Gladbach rolled, but after the combination Thuram/Hofmann/Stindl Baumann saved with a foot save (66th). And as soon as Hoffenheim made it 2-1 (Bebou, 80′), Gladbach uncovered the gaps in the TSG association: Stindl pushed in after a template from Hofmann (83′), Wolf decided on a picture-perfect counterattack to make it 4-1 (90+1).

SC Freiburg – FC Augsburg 3: 1 (2: 1), Goals: 1: 0 Michael Gregoritsch (13th), 1: 1 Mergim Berisha (29th, penalty kick), 2: 1 Lucas Höler (30th), 3: 1 Philipp Lienhart (85th)

FC Augsburg was only happy about the equalizer for a few seconds. Then there was an impetus for Freiburg, a further shot forward, a strong volley cross pass from Ritsu Doan – and Lucas Höler dusted off to take the lead again. Michael Gregortisch made it 1-0 with a well-placed shot against the long inside post, Augsburg scored the aforementioned short equalizer from the penalty spot, and Mergim Berisha sank.

Goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz prevented the Freiburg 3-1 shortly afterwards, as did Augsburg’s Pedersen in the second half, who deflected a Sildillia shot into the post with his hip. The game was still not a clear number, it was intense and characterized by duels, FCA never gave up – in the end Christian Streich was able to be in a better mood after Philipp Lienhart’s 3-1 corner kick. After the 6-0 defeat against Wolfsburg, Freiburg shook and struggled again, Augsburg is still in the relegation battle, but remains true to itself as always and brought on Kelvin Yeboah, nephew of the legendary Anthony, for the third time.

FSV Mainz 05 – VfL Bochum 5: 2 (3: 0), Goals: 1-0 Jae-Sung Lee (1st), 2-0 Silvan Widmer (17th), 3-0 Karim Onisiwo (28th), 4-0 Karim Onisiwo (58th), 4-1 Pierre-Kunde Malong (70′), 4-2 Erhan Masovic (72′), 5-2 Karim Onisiwo (87′)

Bundesliga: Karim Onisiwo

Karim Onisiwo

(Photo: Torsten Silz/dpa)

Allegedly, FSV Mainz 05 paid six million euros to Racing Straßburg for striker Ludovic Ajorque. In England, of course, you wouldn’t even get a new kit man for the sum, but that’s a lot of money for Mainz, especially for a winter transfer. But the gap in the attack was large and Ajorque scored twelve goals in France’s Ligue 1, eight assists, he was in the starting XI for the first time against Bochum. And as is sometimes the case – when someone new comes, the established feel goaded and so Karim Onisiwo became the man of the match and presumably also the man of the matchday.

Jae-sung Lee scored after 47 seconds, but the fast Onisiwo led the wonderful play with a sprint. After 18 minutes it was already 2-0. Onisiwo first lost his orientation while dribbling and then the ball, but Silvan Widmer switched faster than the Bochum defense and pushed in. The Austrian then scored the 3-0 and 4-0 himself, with the third goal he was quick again and passed Bochum’s Manuel Riemann, with the fourth goal he was just not offside.

Customer Malong and Erhan Masovic provided a curious Bochum double strike within two minutes. Mainz got a high pulse again (Keven Schlotterbeck had the great chance to make it 3:4), but saved the result over time – of course – thanks to a dream goal by Karim Onisiwo to make it 5:2 (shot in the corner). Incidentally, there would have been plenty of room for a few spectators in the stands in Mainz, as the game was entertaining. FC Bayern come to the DFB Cup game on Wednesday – it will be fuller then.

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