1. FC Union Berlin has taken a big step towards historic participation in the Champions League in the Bundesliga. Freiburg coach Christian Streich says he shouldn’t have fielded Lukas Kübler.
Thanks to a strong exploitation of opportunities in the first half and with an outstanding Sheraldo Becker, Union defeated SC Freiburg 4: 2 (3: 0) on Saturday (May 13, 2023). Kevin Behrens (5th) and a double strike from Becker (36th, 38th) ensured an apparently comfortable lead early on.
Manuel Gulde (56th) with a header and Vincenzo Grifo (70th) with a penalty kick made the game exciting again and Freiburg had more good chances. But the goal was only scored by the Berliners in the person of Aissa Laidouni (80th) after a counterattack.
“Everyone was very focused on this game,” said Union’s double goal scorer Becker in the Sportschau interview. “We knew we could beat them at home and played a very good first half.”
Freiburg coach Christian Streich explained the significant gap in the break as follows: “Union was better, won the important duels and we defended the second ball badly. I set up Lukas Kübler and made a big mistake because he was ill during the week. So we played with one man less, he did got circulatory problems.”
Union: 22nd league home game without defeat
After the 22nd league home game without defeat, the surprise team from Berlin (59 points) took third place at least temporarily and has the best chance of participating in the first Champions League in the club’s history. The lead over Freiburg (56) in fifth place is three points and eight goals. In fourth place, which also brings direct Champions League qualification, is RB Leipzig (57), who still welcome Werder Bremen on Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
Union coach Urs Fischer emphasized that Union already has the Europa League qualification for sure. “It’s amazing, you have to let that sink in and process it first.” In the fourth Bundesliga year, Union made it into international competition for the third time. Fischer told Sportschau about the game: “The team really played a great first half. We really wanted to build on the second half, but we didn’t manage that. Then things got really tight again and we made it 4-2 at the right time. Over 90 In minutes it was a deserved win, a great performance.”
Berlin’s Behrens takes the lead
The typical Union recipe took effect against Freiburg on Saturday after a hard-fought first few minutes, in which the two chains of five stood solidly, 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.
Sheraldo Becker with double pack and mask
But then Union really turned on. First the strong Becker pushed in after a one-two with Robin Knoche and cheered with a Spiderman mask before he scored from afar just three minutes later. To the Spiderman cheer Becker said: “I had the mask for a long time and my son and my girlfriend said that I should do it. I said: wait for the right moment, for an important game. And that was today.”
Freiburg’s Grifo with a cheeky penalty
After the break, Union fans were already celebrating: “What a shit – Champions League”, it echoed from the forest side. But Freiburg improved, ran and 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 put across to Laidouni and thus collected his fourth scorer point of the day.
Two more anniversaries are worth mentioning: right-back Christopher Trimmel made his 300th competitive game for Union and national player Christian Günter completed his 300th Bundesliga game for Freiburg – no player in the history of the sports club had ever broken that mark.
Freiburg opens against Wolfsburg
At the start of the 33rd matchday, Freiburg welcomes VfL Wolfsburg (Friday, May 19th, 2023 at 8.30 p.m.). A day later, Union is challenged in Sinsheim at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (3:30 p.m.).
On the last day of the game, Berlin host Werder Bremen, while Freiburg take on Eintracht Frankfurt (both on Saturday, May 27, 3:30 p.m.).