Union Berlin surprises the Bundesliga every week. The fairy tale of the Iron just doesn’t want to end. Until this Sunday afternoon. The table leader stumbles at the bottom of all places. A tough foul by Bochum’s Ivan Ordets caused a lot of trouble.
They ran and ran and ran. And none of them ran more than Christopher Antwi-Adjei. And when he did it the god knows how many times in the 71st minute, the Bundesliga saw the most perfect counterattack of the season. In eleven seconds, Antwi-Adjei and his VfL Bochum combined from their own penalty area to make it 2-0. It went through five stations before substitute Gerrit Holtmann pushed the ball over the line at top speed and slightly twisted. Antwi-Adjei had unlocked him perfectly. The Ruhr Stadium trembled and the league was exciting again. The bottom of the table (before this matchday, then 17th after that) was well on the way to disenchanting the leaders.
The leader of the table, it’s easy to forget that, is Union Berlin. This team from Köpenick, who had perfected compactness, greed and merciless effectiveness in their very own way this season. This team that FC Bayern despaired of (1:1) and against which BVB had no chance (0:2). On this Sunday afternoon, however, Union Berlin was defeated with its own weapons. It was 2:1 after a mercilessly intense game “anne Castroper”. The goal of ex-Bochumer Milos Pantovic, who was the tragic figure from Berlin’s point of view, came much too late (93rd). Philipp Hofmann had previously given VfL a deserved lead just before the break (44th). Because it was actually like this: Bochum was the better team.
Football is weird sometimes. Can’t explain. Things go as they go. And this afternoon they ran for the hosts, who were lucky early on with the leniency of referee Deniz Aytekin. Because after a rustic duel, Ivan Ordets shouldn’t have complained if he had been sent off with a red card after 17 minutes. Yes, the Ukrainian also hit the ball in the duel in Janik Haberer, but even more he caught the Unioner’s left ankle, which had to come off shortly afterwards. Coach Urs Fischer gave the all-clear after the game. But that didn’t change the fact that he was still stunned by Aytekin’s decision. “Mr. Aytekin was clearly wrong for me today. That’s a clear red card for me. With the speed, open sole – Bochum was lucky there.”
And once again Bochum was lucky. Or Manuel Riemann. The extrovert goalkeeper saved a Pantovic penalty in the 76th minute. Erhan Mašovi? accidentally stepped on Diogo Leite’s foot. Riemann saved his team from a dramatic finish and provided further proof that converting a penalty against him is incredibly difficult. In the Bundesliga he has now fended off seven out of 14 attempts. And when he once again became the hero in a duel from the point, when the situation around the margin had been settled, he whipped himself and those in front of him, screamed his emotions into the afternoon sky. The passion is back in the Ruhrstadion.
The new coach Thomas Letsch now has three wins in five competitive games (twice in the league, once in the DFB Cup, where there is a home game against BVB in the next round). The successor to the rise giant Thomas Reis emancipated himself from his legacy surprisingly quickly. The team is developing those virtues with which they rose two years ago and last season in the league. “The aggressive, getting on the sack, never giving up – that’s exactly what he wants to see,” said Hofmann about Letsch football. “You could tell right from the start that the team had the will to get something. We pressed hard and ran into the opponent,” the coach said happily. “We played a great game and deserved to win.” There was no doubt about this flash analysis. Not even with Union coach Fischer. “Bochum was simply better. They were sharper, more agile and cheekier. They ate us up a bit, we didn’t have the right answers.”
For example, not on the Bochum wingers Antwi-Adjei and Jordi Osei-Tutu. Both ran the opponent not only in the ground. Both played again and again strong actions in the preparation or in the end. “Everyone was wide awake from the first minute and played well on the second ball. The coach said before the game that it’s about playing disgustingly and that we reward ourselves for it. We did that,” said the outstanding response Adjei. But Osei-Tutu, who enchanted fans on loan three years ago (having switched from right-back to right-forward) and returned this season, also made a tremendous showing. He dribbled his way free, failed to hit the brilliant Frederik Rönnow just before Bochum took the lead and later hit the crossbar again (62′).
Osei-Tutu started this time, replacing Holtmann. He later caused a lot of irritation with his coach. Regarding his moderate start to the season after a strong past season, he said after the game: “I’m not 100 percent fit, I’ve been walking around with pubic inflammation for weeks. I also have permanent injections.” Letsch reacted with astonishment to the statements. “Pubitis is an injury, but I’m not informed about it. I don’t know that he injects himself every day. Don’t get the wrong impression here: I’m in constant contact with my medical staff. He was fit to play – that’s why he played ‘ Letsch said. But Holtmann also admitted that the psyche had something to do with his sagging: “It’s also a bit of a problem for me, I have to be clear about that.” There is a need to speak.
Also at Union. Although they do not hang the bankruptcy in the Ruhr Stadium too high. After the Monster season so far, however, the demands have increased and such a game, even if it can always happen, doesn’t fit in there. Captain Christopher Trimmel therefore tried to remain calm. “We said internally that we wouldn’t play against the last team but against Bochum. They have performed very well in the last few weeks. They also have a great mentality. When these things come together, you sometimes lose against a team like that.” Meanwhile, Rani Khedira was clearly more alarmed. “It was unnecessary and annoying. We practically scored the first goal ourselves, the second we ran into a counterattack,” he said at DAZN. And because VfL was successful precisely with Berlin’s strengths, hitting a set piece and a quick return, Khedira warned: “If you don’t call up the basics, it will be difficult. We just have to push ourselves to the limit in every game.”
Are you fading after English weeks with the Bundesliga, Europa League and DFB Cup? “A professional has to be able to play every two days,” said Khedira. An excuse should not serve. And captain Trimmel didn’t want to know anything about it either, but admitted: “It’s a lot of football, training, game analysis, relaxation – there’s a bit of a balance missing, sometimes two days to clear your head.” In Bochum there was a little lack of imagination to put pressure on the opponent after a deficit. However, Khedira does not believe that Union is not able to design the game. “Every team struggles when they’re behind, because of course there’s room for the opposition.” And those of VfL attacked and attacked. As if intoxicated.
(This article was first published on Monday, October 24, 2022.)
