Benedict Hollerbach was already ready to substitute, Nenad Bjelica was about to put into practice the promise he had made two days earlier. “We are playing to win,” the coach of 1. FC Union Berlin replied before the all-important away game at Borussia Mönchengladbach when asked whether a point would be enough for him. Because there wasn’t much going on offensively, Bjelica wanted to bring in an additional striker who could score the winning goal at Borussia Park.
Hollerbach had just taken a last sip from his drinking bottle when his colleagues on the pitch actually prepared everything so that the summer signing from SV Wehen Wiesbaden could have sat back on the bench without having achieved anything. The ball ran wonderfully over Brenden Aaronson, Josip Juranovic, Kevin Volland and Lucas Tousart, who passed the ball sharply from the right side into the center. András Schäfer came to the ball seven meters completely free in front of the goal, which he actually only had to push over the line.
But the Hungarian’s nerves failed him and he aimed too hastily and far too imprecisely far over the goal. The Iron Men, who remained goalless despite Hollerbach’s entry shortly afterwards, had missed the match point in the person of the midfielder. “I am completely convinced that we have become more effective in front of the opponent’s goal in the last three games,” Bjelica explained at the press conference about an hour after the final whistle. He can no longer hear the questions about his team’s offensive harmlessness.
No other team in German professional football has scored fewer goals this calendar year. It is solely thanks to the fact that the defense did a very decent job in Gladbach that 1. FC Union Berlin can manage to stay in the Bundesliga three match days before the end of the season on their own. Two wins from the remaining games against Bochum, in Cologne and at the end of the season against SC Freiburg should be enough.
1. FC Union Berlin: Perplexity with regard to the offensive
But goals are necessary for victories. And when it comes to this deficit, Schäfer was certainly not the only one to blame for the guest appearance on the Lower Rhine. Yorbe Vertessen was so invisible before the break that it was hardly noticeable in the second half that he was no longer on the pitch after being replaced by Bjelica. Volland made a real effort, but was unlucky with two aluminum hits and Hollerbach was no longer able to get into a reasonable finishing position in the final phase.
“Unfortunately, exploiting our opportunities is a recurring theme throughout the season,” said Volland, perplexed afterwards. The ex-national player still has two goals this season; he last scored in the first leg in December, when Bjelica made his debut in the Bundesliga with a 3-1 home win against Gladbach. It was also the only game directed by the 52-year-old in which Union scored more than two of their own goals.
Ultimately, the most positive news of the day came two hours after the final whistle from Mainz, where the host FSV had not managed to score more than 1-1 against 1. FC Köln despite a long lead. The Bjelica team remains two points ahead of the relegation place, which Rheinhessen now occupies again after VfL Bochum’s surprising win against TSG Hoffenheim. In addition, Mainz has to play two of three games away from home in the season finale and the team has not yet won a single game on foreign soil this season.
All in all, it can be said that the sporting prospects for the Köpenick team could be significantly worse. In addition to the fact that, unlike all other competitors, Union can still play two of the three games at home until the season finale on May 18th, it is the defensive quality that is encouraging. Because despite all the anger and justifiable disappointment regarding the offensive performances, it should not be forgotten that Union in Mönchengladbach remained without conceding a goal for the sixth time this calendar year. On Sunday there was no great luck at all, as the home team didn’t have much of a chance to score in 90 minutes.
None, at least of the quality of the scene described at the beginning. András Schäfer was able to smile again in the cabin corridor; the journey home to Köpenick shouldn’t have been all that sad.