VfL Bochum manages to break free in the relegation battle, 1. FC Union Berlin is about to enter the Champions League for the first time. On the 32nd day of the Bundesliga match, FC Bayern also took down FC Schalke and went ahead in the championship race. Wolfsburg keeps Frankfurt at a distance.
1. FC Union Berlin – SC Freiburg 4: 2 (3: 0)
Union Berlin’s high-flyers are within reach of their dream goal of the Champions League thanks to “superhero” Sheraldo Becker. Coach Urs Fischer’s surprise team celebrated an incredibly important 4-2 (3-0) win against SC Freiburg on Saturday and decisively distanced their direct competitor. With two games to go, the Köpenickers are three points ahead of SC, who are fifth in the Europa League.
Kevin Behrens (5th) gave the Unioners the lead before Becker (35th/38th) scored twice – and put on a “Spider Man” mask to celebrate the goal. Aissa Laidouni (80th) made everything clear after Manuel Gulde (56th) and Vincenzo Grifo (70th, penalty kick) had meanwhile reduced the lead for Freiburg.
Behrens made it 1-0 for FC Union.
(Photo: REUTERS)
After a hard-fought first few minutes, in which the two chains of five stood solidly, the typical Union recipe took hold remarkably quickly. Behrens headed a long ball from the Berlin half to Becker, who crossed it again to his strike partner – Behrens executed an ice-cold shot with his left. The forester exploded for the first time, “FC Union International” sang the fans.
As a result, Union remained toxic and benefited from Freiburg ball losses. Although the SC tried to control the game, little went together offensively in the first round. A header from Lukas Kübler (28′) after a corner, which Union goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow steered over the goal, was Freiburg’s first reasonable chance. But then Union really turned on. First the strong Becker pushed in after a one-two with Robin Knoche and celebrated in superhero fashion before he scored from afar just three minutes later.
After the break, Freiburg increased and ran while the fans on the Union side were already dreaming. “What a shit – Champions League”, it echoed from the forest side, but the team of guest coach Christian Streich made the game exciting again. Central defender Gulde humorlessly headed in a Grifo corner, the Italian international later converted a cheeky chipball from a penalty after Danilho Doekhi had fouled Roland Sallai. After a counterattack, Berlin struck again – Becker collected his fourth scorer point of the day as a preparer.
Eintracht Frankfurt – 1. FSV Mainz 05 3: 0 (2: 0)
Eintracht Frankfurt provided a redeeming sense of achievement at the start of coach Oliver Glasner’s farewell tour. In the first game after turbulent days with the announcement of the separation at the end of the season, the Hessians prevailed 3-0 (2-0) in the Rhein-Main duel with FSV Mainz 05 and ended their negative series of ten league games without a win.
Without Glasner, who was suspended in the stands, the cup finalists saved their chance for international business in the Bundesliga thanks to goals from Daichi Kamada (18′, penalty kick), Aurelio Buta (40′) and Randal Kolo Muani (59′). With the victory, Frankfurt also overtook the weak Mainz team – and put a damper on their European ambitions. After a week full of unrest, it shouldn’t matter that they part ways at the end of the season.
The lead gave the Frankfurters a sense of security against weak guests, who had to do without the suspended Leandro Barreiro and Dominik Kohr. Kamada fell over FSV defender Andreas Hanche-Olsen in the turn, and the Japanese converted the penalty himself. However, it took a while for Frankfurt to score the second goal. At first, Mario Götze and Djibril Sow caused danger (27′), but only Buta extended the lead with a powerful shot worth seeing. Mainz hardly played offensively, coach Bo Svensson only saw a promising finish from Marcus Ingvartsen (35th).
The guests came out of the dressing room a little more energetic, but the FSV hardly created any significant chances. Frankfurt managed the lead – and then struck again. Kolo Muani escaped the Mainz defense after a counterattack and finished ice cold. On the other hand, SGE goalkeeper Kevin Trapp was challenged for the first time against Danny da Costa (63rd). Eintracht remained dangerous through Kamada (66th) – and retained control in the final phase.
FC Bayern Munich – FC Schalke 04 6: 0 (2: 0)
Led by starting XI returnee Thomas Müller and double packer Serge Gnabry, FC Bayern has presented again in the title fight. Captain Müller and the new goalkeeper Gnabry put the German record champions on the road to victory in an unchallenged 6-0 (2-0) against FC Schalke 04, who were threatened with relegation. Müller (21st), Joshua Kimmich (29th, penalty kick), Gnabry (50th/65th), Mathys Tel (80th) and Noussair Mazraoui (90th + 2) scored. For Schalke, the situation in the table basement remains precarious after the twelfth defeat in a row against Bayern. In the important home game against Frankfurt, the top scorer Marius Bülter is suspended.
Does Müller play, does he not play? This question and the associated discussion about the future of Ur-Bavaria has been occupying Munich for weeks. This time, coach Thomas Tuchel opted for the veteran in the starting XI alongside Leroy Sané. “The pressure from you was so great that he just had to play,” he said jokingly on Sky. The Bavarians around the highly dangerous nine Gnabry, who received many balls deep in midfield, quickly came up with a whole series of opportunities.
Kingsley Coman missed the best after Müller went it alone – Sepp van den Bergh cleared in front of the line (10th). Müller initiated the tour himself. Alex Kral clarified his cross too hesitantly, Sane put it back on Müller, who deliberately pushed into the far corner. “We have to be prepared to suffer,” said Schalke coach Thomas Reis before the game. And it soon got even worse for S04: After Cedric Brunner punched Jamal Musiala in the face, the video assistant called; Kimmich safely converted the due penalty.
According to Reis, Schalke, who in addition to defender Moritz Jenz also had to do without Henning Matriciani for a short time, wanted to “be courageous” despite all caution, but the home side nipped most of the guests’ attempts in the bud. Gnabry (44th) had the opportunity to make it 3-0 with a header before the break. He used his next one shortly after the break on a pass from João Cancelo with his left foot.
After a good hour, Tuchel changed the statics when he brought a Kimmich partner in Ryan Gravenberch for Kingsley Coman. This did not change anything about the offensive power. Gnabry scored his fourth goal in the last three league games on a counterattack. Shortly thereafter, the national player was substituted to applause.
VfL Bochum – FC Augsburg 3: 2 (1: 1)
VfL Bochum won the groundbreaking basement duel against FC Augsburg and thus collected three very important points for the mission to stay in the league. After the 3: 2 (1: 1) and the simultaneous victory of Bayern Munich against Schalke 04, the team of coach Thomas Letsch jumped to 15th place at least overnight, but in any case VfL left the direct relegation places. On Sunday, VfB Stuttgart could push Bochum back to the relegation zone.
Christopher Antwi-Adjei after just 91 seconds, an own goal by Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (59th) and captain Anthony Losilla (62nd) scored the goals for Bochum in front of 24,453 fans, who were able to celebrate the longed-for liberation after six games in a row without a win. Arne Maier (29th) scored for the interim 1-1 equalizer for FCA, who missed another big step towards staying in the class. Substitute Kelvin Yeboah (85th) made the final score.
The goal in Bochum is clear.
(Photo: IMAGO/kolbert-press)
The first attack shook the Ruhrstadion: Antwi-Adjei got through on the left, let an opponent run into space in the penalty area and slammed the ball into the corner with full conviction. As a result, an open exchange of blows developed with many tough duels. Konstantinos Stafylidis saw the first yellow card after just four minutes, but had to take a few shots himself and a little later felt hurt and in tears from the field (36th).
The two teams with the worst passing rates in the league did a lot on the counterattack. After the wild initial phase with many goal area scenes, the game calmed down a bit, then Maier caused the first mood dampener. After a nice pass from Dion Drena Beljo, the midfielder pushed in to equalize. But VfL stayed tuned – and came out of the break better. Felix Uduokhai first forced Tomas Koubek to make a brilliant move (51′), but then the FCA goalkeeper had no chance when his second central defender and captain Gouweleeuw took a deflected shot. Losilla finally put VfL on the road to victory with his deflected shot from around 25 meters.
VfL Wolfsburg – TSG Hoffenheim 2: 1 (1: 0)
VfL Wolfsburg remains in the European Cup race, TSG Hoffenheim in the relegation battle: Lower Saxony moved up to sixth place in the table at least until Sunday with a somewhat flattering 2-1 (1-0) win, the guests still have to keep an eye out despite an appealing performance point downwards. In a game that was only exciting at times, Jakub Kaminski scored the opening goal in the 15th minute. The Pole scored with a header after a right cross from Ridle Baku. The otherwise well-organized cover of the Kraichgauer seemed unsorted in this scene. Substitute Luca Waldschmidt (75′) scored the second goal, Josuha Guilavogui (90’+3) scored an own goal in added time.
During the entire first half, the aftermath of the 6-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund last weekend was clearly visible in the North Germans. Coach Niko Kovac’s team seemed inhibited, unsure, the train to the goal was almost non-existent. The action to make it 1-0 was the only really well thought-out attack. TSG, on the other hand, seemed motivated, more biting in the duels, but they also lacked the penetrating power in front of the opposing goal.
After the change of ends, the course of the game changed a little in front of 22,617 spectators in the Volkswagen Arena. The wolves went to work more bitingly and could have extended their hitherto rather flattering lead through Mattias Svanberg (51st) and Jonas Wind (52nd). But the guests were now more dangerous on the counterattack: VfL defender Sebastiaan Bornauw stumbled a ball, but Munas Dabbur (57th) shot the ball over the goal alone in front of goalkeeper Koen Casteels. TSG coach Pellegrino Matarazzo watched the scene with wide eyes.
In the aftermath, the game rather rippled away. Constant substitutions here and there also slowed down the flow of the game. And none of the substitute players was able to put themselves in the limelight. Until Waldschmidt was successful with a shot from the turn. The own goal just before the end changed nothing in the outcome of the game.