Berlin – On Saturday afternoon, the 1. FC Union Berlin team once again demonstrated their ability to take on this season’s surprise team and won 2-1 against TSG Hoffenheim thanks to a late improvement in performance. Initially, well into the second half, it looked more like the fifth defeat of the season than the eighth win of the season. But then Urs Fischer, the Iron Man coach, had an idea. He brought on Sheraldo Becker, who changed the course of things. The winning goal, after preliminary work from Becker and Max Kruse, was scored by Grischa Prömel, the midfielder who is in the form of his life.
In front of 3000 spectators, who were allowed to be there under a 2G-plus requirement in the Alte Försterei, both teams gave everything from the start so that there was talk of a top game not only before the game but also after the game. The pace was immediate, both sides pressed very “high”, as they say in technical terms, yes, this game deserved a sold-out stadium with a typical Union atmosphere because of the good entertainment. But well, no further complaints will help.
The great thing was that both of them hurriedly bridged the midfield, didn’t look long for orientation, but played forward. This sometimes wild back and forth gave the guests their first chance in the eleventh minute as a result of a corner kick from Austria’s Stefan Posch, whose diving header was defused by keeper Andreas Luthe.
Baumgartl creates an own goal
It was already evident how much vigor and playful class Hoffenheim can bring to the field with their offensive. Or with what means they have been embarrassing the opponents’ defenses in the Bundesliga for weeks. In any case, five minutes later, Union’s otherwise confident defender Robin Knoche had a dropout in a duel with Ilhas Bebou, allowing Bebou to cross the ball from the baseline in front of the goal. And somehow it fit the picture of the widespread confusion in the ranks of the Irons that Timo Baumgartl at the first post with his unsuccessful rescue attempt with his head became the scorer of his own goals.
It was impressive what the Kraichgauers brought in, with their constantly roaming exceptional player Andrej Kramaric as a threader, with Dennis Geiger as the early ball conqueror and steep pass machine. And yet it was with the Unioners, where winter signing Dominique Heintz replaced Marvin Friedrich, who had migrated to Mönchengladbach, and acted largely flawlessly, as always: They had an answer. This time in the form of a cooperation between Bastian Oczipka and Andreas Voglsammer, who was preferred to Kevin Behrens in attack this time.
Even keeper Luthe is pressed in the build-up game
The former used a pass from Max Kruse in the 22nd minute and the resulting space on the left for a sensitive cross, Voglsammer rose, headed powerfully against the crossbar, from which the ball bounced into the shoulder of Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann. Baumann was amazed, Voglsammer cheered, although the goalscorer – what a funny rule – was ultimately led to Baumann.
But TSG was also unimpressed by this setback. Kramaric, Bebou and Munas Dabbur repeatedly attacked the iron build-up early on and even ran into Luthe repeatedly when he had to play with his foot. The result: uncertainties on the part of the Unioners, who, with luck and passion, managed to prevent a 1-2 draw until the break.
Because his players continued to react more than act at the beginning of the second half, Urs Fischer was forced to make a tactical correction. Rani Khedira received a briefing on the sidelines, which he passed on to his colleagues. Levin Öztunali now played a little more centrally, a little more offensively, while Grischa Prömel should come a little more from the depths. But the most important impetus to change the course of events came from the Swiss soccer coach in the 65th minute when Sheraldo Becker came on.
Out of isolation, into the game
The Dutchman only returned to team training in the middle of last week after a corona isolation. But there was no sign of a training deficit. Suddenly there was speed and guts in the game of the iron, suddenly Hoffenheim were the beleaguered.
In the 71st minute, Becker threw himself into an Oczipka cross and missed the lead by just centimeters with his header. And just two minutes later, on a counterattack, he was the one who put Kruse in position with a good eye and a steady foot. Kruse’s shot from ten meters was defused by a Hoffenheimer and directed against the crossbar. But Prömel was there with his head on the rebound – and, like in Leverkusen, he became man of the day.
His goal to make it 2-1 catapulted the Irons to fourth place in the table, a place that entitles them to play in the Champions League. Even if Leverkusen were able to oust the Irons again with the 2-1 win in Gladbach. But fifth place? It’s still Europa League after all! And the gap to the premier class is only seven goals. Not even a dot…