Bielefeld/Berlin – 1. FC Union Berlin has continued its downward trend. That is the sober conclusion from the 0:1 (0:0) of the Irons at Arminia Bielefeld, which can be described as deserved despite the field superiority of coach Urs Fischer’s team in the second half and one or the other promising chance to equalize. Which was also something for friends of combat-focused games rather than for friends of the fine blade.
Before the game, Fischer had demanded that his team have to defend their own penalty area better than they did last time, and with this aim they sent a five-man chain onto the field again. With Timo Baumgartl as the central figure, with Paul Jaeckel and Dominique Heintz as assistants for internal security, and – and that came as a bit of a surprise – with Julian Ryerson and Bastian Oczipka as full-backs.
Baumgartl, who replaced Robin Knoche, who was suspended, as chief of defence, and the others were challenged from the first second on the Alm. In particular by Bielefeld’s right winger Patrick Wimmer, who turned out to be a troublemaker, sprinting and dribbling into position again and again, before finally trying to finish quite suddenly in the eleventh minute with a left-footed shot from 20 meters. The ball smacked against the outside of the post and had previously been deflected slightly. Andreas Luthe was amazed.
Because Rani Khedira (returned to the starting XI after a yellow card suspension), Grischa Prömel and Sheraldo Becker were mainly occupied with defensive work in the beginning, the Irons initially only sporadically developed something like a goal threat. The latter put so much pressure on Arminia’s keeper Stefan Ortega after 15 minutes that his uncontrolled attempt to defend ended up at Taiwo Awoniyi. The Nigerian, however, was obviously too surprised by the opportunity to turn it into the lead. Ortega was able to easily defuse his degree.
Becker is involved as a preparer
However, it was also the case that the Unioners got a better grip on the hosts by defending together. Baumgartl seemed quite confident, and the snappy Ryerson, who was able to support Becker more and more often when attacking, also knew how to please. Only Jaeckel made too many mistakes despite all the enthusiasm.
Next to Wimmer, Becker was the most conspicuous player on the pitch, preparing a very good chance for Khedira (36′), who chased the ball into the stands from eleven yards, and a good chance for Sven Michel (42′), who but then clearly missed the goal with his header.
Even at the beginning of the second half, what the Bielefeld team put forward gave the impression of harmlessness. Until Ortega tried a long shot in the 55th minute. Actually, the Unioners were well staggered with this long shot, but after Baumgartl lost the header duel against Janni Serra, everything happened very quickly. The ball came to Wimmer, which Baumgartl simply let go, Heintz and Oczipka were badly positioned, so Wimmer was able to pass to Masaya Okugawa. Okugawa cleverly converted the pass, shot quickly and overcame Luthe with a shot from 14 meters.
Fischer switches from five to four chain
A short time later, Heintz was injured in a duel with Wimmer and had to be substituted, which Fischer immediately used to change tactics. He switched to a back four, in the end to a 4-3-3, in which substitute Andreas Voglsammer played on the left wing.
This actually made the offensive game of the Köpenicker a little more compelling. Awoniyi, for example, had a good chance to equalize but was denied again in the 66th minute by Ortega, whose qualities really have no place in the Bundesliga relegation battle.
Fischer followed up with more substitutions, bringing on Keita Endo, Kevin Möhwald and Kevin Behrens, although it was hard to understand why he didn’t want Awoniyi on the pitch in the closing stages. In any case, the Nigerian was only a spectator from the 75th minute, while the teammates tried in vain for almost 20 minutes to equalize with Behrens and Möhwald having pretty good chances. And while Luthe prevented the 0:2 in the 81st minute from a deflected shot by Alessandro Schöpf with a great save.