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1. FC Union Berlin vs VfL Bochum 1848

Bundesliga, 28. Matchday

1. FC Union vs Bochum

Bundesliga, 28. Matchday

Sun., 16. April 2023, 17:30 Uhr
An der Alten Försterei
1 : 1
21.524
SR: Tobias Stieler

Ten Man Union Draw With Bochum

Match report

Having started superbly, Union were held to a 1-1 draw by a determined Bochum side, who equalised Josip Juranovic’s wonderful free kick, through Kevin Stöger’s second half penalty. Their tasks were made all the more difficult as Paul Jaeckel was sent off with more than half an hour to go. 

1. FC Union Berlin: Rönnow – Juranović, Jaeckel, Knoche, Doekhi, Roussillon (86. Gießelmann) – Laïdouni (65. Leite), Khedira, Haberer (80. Thorsby) – Becker (86. Pantovic), Behrens (86. Siebatcheu) 

VfL Bochum: Riemann - Ordets, Masovic, Schlotterbeck (14. Heintz) - Osei-Tutu (75. Gamboa), Osterhage, Stöger, Soares – Asano (88. Zoller), Hofmann, Antwi-Adjei (88. Holtmann) 

Attendance: 21,524

Goals: 1:0 Juranović (45. +2), 1:1 Stöger (55.) 

Union’s modern history has dovetailed somewhat with that of VfL Bochum’s. Take the hair-raising 2-2 draw on the last game of the 2. Liga season, which meant Union would only come third in the table, and with it face a play-off against Stuttgart to get to the Bundesliga. As a storm howled down upon the hundreds watching on a big screen at the Alte Försterei, it seemed like a kick to the gut, that result. It physically hurt, somehow, and felt far worse than this draw between the sides.

Or take the final game of last season, when Taiwo Awoniyi’s winner with just two minutes to go (alongside his and Grischa Prömel’s exits) left not a dry eye in the house, happy in the knowledge that Union would play in the Europa league. That one will go down in history. Certainly more so than this. 

But it wasn’t always that way. Union have played Bochum more than almost anyone else from the former West Germany, much of which was seemingly spent in the mid-table of the 2. Liga, a  parade of 2-1's on grey days like today (though the memory does play tricks when casting back to what feels like a lifetime ago), when the idea of both being in the top flight together was the stuff of strangest fancy.

But Urs Fischer had been careful to not talk down his opponents. If Union had their eyes on third place in the table, he knew that Bochum, too, were fighting for something, even if at the other end of the league.

Accordingly he made only two changes to the side who had performed so creditably against Dortmund last weekend, bringing in Aissa Laidouni and Jerome Rousillon for Morten Thorsby and Niko Giesselmann. Paul Jaeckel retained his place in the back three, as did Kevin Behrens alongside Sheraldo Becker up front. Rani Khedira, as always, was the anchor of midfield behind Janik Haberer and Laidouni.

Union’s superb start, Juranovic’s gorgeous free kick.

Union started in a frenzy. Behrens went down in the box, Khedira, too, after a Rousillon cross from the left. It was nothing, just bodies colliding at pace, but Juranovic hit the ensuing corner to the edge of the box where Danilho Doekhi flashed a volley over the bar. Behrens then nodded down for Becker who laid the ball off, again, for Doekhi. Manuel Riemann, in Bochum's goal, was equal to his scuffed shot.

There was a charging header by Jaeckel as he came out towards the halfway line, a superb sliding tackle by Haberer on Jordi Osei-Tutu, and a bullish run with the ball at his foot from Laidouni. He was barged over but the referee waved play on and the Tunisian international got up without a word.

It was a sign of Union’s intensity, as was the call and reponse from the packed out terraces. “Eisern...” "...Union" they roared. It felt big, this one.

Rönnow had to be sharp to stop a long ball over the top from being dashed on to by Christopher Antwi-Adjei, but he did so with the minimum of fuss. He then held Antwi-Adjei’s long, searching free kick easily, despite the swirling, buffetting, fine rain in the sky. Riemann at the other end had to punch a Becker cross away with less certainty as Behrens was looming, his mind fresh with his goal last weekend, and having already scored more than any other Unioner this year.

After quarter of an hour there was a pause as Keven Schlotterbeck went down in agony, holding his knee. It looked bad for the former Unioner. He limped off, to applause from all sides of the stadium, to be replaced by Dominique Heintz, still on Union’s books, but on loan in the Ruhr.

It was all Union for the majority of the half. Behrens flicked another header just wide of the back post from near the penalty spot after Juranovic’s cross. Jaeckel made another superb headed pass to Juranovic on 23 minutes, his zipped through ball towards Becker just having too much pace on it for the rain-slicked pitch; but the idea was good and the break was as quick as they come.

After half an hour Behrens tried to pass to Becker on the turn but over-hit it this time. If anything Union were trying to too hard to rush things, as if stung by the recent criticism of their first half displays.

Becker put his palms down. Be cool, he said. There’s time, he said. He was right.

But still Union pressed and they harried, and they gave Bochum all sorts of problems. Laidouni was everywhere; Juranovic’s battle with Antwi-Adjei superb; Becker drifting wide and Behrens leading the line. Rousillon would hit the bar after Becker’s clever switched ball out left, his cross / shot leaving Riemann not knowing whether he was coming or going. He then did superbly to get in front of Philipp Hoffman to head an in-swinging cross away, diving at full stretch. He did even better with a sliding tackle on Takuma Asano as the referee went to blow his whistle on the half.

But, Union had already taken the lead by then. And what a goal it was. With the clock already reading 45 minutes played, Laidouni was brought down by Patrick Osterhage ten yards outside the box. Juranovic and Rousillon stood over the ball, talking behind cupped hands, making plans. Becker and Khedira stood in front of the wall, forming a diversion, but Juranovic needed none of that.

He hit the ball with pace and power and bent it inside the back post, giving a diving Riemann no chance.

Bochum equalise, Jaeckel sees red.

Union looked so confident as they re-started after the break, they started making pretty patterns, Juranovic skipping past kevin Stöger and Erhan Masovic on the halfway line. Rousillon and Haberer combined neatly on the left. Even Jaeckels' chested clearance from Stöger's attempted through ball was cushioned so well it was as if he left rose petals behind him on the pitch. And when Bochum tried to get the ball up high into the box either he or Knoche or Doekhi were always there to head clear from danger.

But those balls kept coming in, now, with more regularity and better accuracy than anything the guests had delivered in the first half.

And then came the shock, Bochum got a penalty after 54 minutes as Laidouni brought down Ivan Ordets in the box. Stöger stepped up to screaming whistles all around while Rönnow danced on the line, his arms out wide. But there was little the keeper could do as he hit it hard and true to his right. Suddenly, Bochum were back in the game, a situation only worsened by Paul Jaeckel’s second yellow card ten minutes into the half for a foul on Osterhager before the hour was out.

Fischer made an immediate change, bringing on Diogo Leite for Laidouni.

Union came back at Bochum, giving their all. And they thought they’d scored after a lovely Janik Haberer nutmeg past a hypnotised Masovic. He found Laidouni who slipped Behrens in, his finish at the near post brutal and perfectly placed.

But he was an inch offside.

The Unioner roared mercilessly when the decision finally came through.

It was swinging both ways now. Bochum, a man up and buoyed by their goal and their advantage, Union aggrieved, determined, and with the bit between their teeth. Asano tried to shoot inside the box but only found it packed with bodies. Doekhi had to be at his sharpest to stop Antwi-Adjei. Then Heintz nipped the ball of Becker as he prepared to shoot with 20 minutes to play. Rousillon was a blur of action on one side – clearing the ball off the line with ten minutes to go -  as Juranovic was his equal on the other.

And still Union wouldn’t give up, they fought like demons. Behrens shot over with Riemann all at sea from outside the box. Rönnow saved from Hoffman’s header at goal. Doekhi tackled Antwi-Adjei superbly, then stopped Hoffman from getting a chance to head at goal.

Then came Union’s biggest chance, as Behrens missed a golden opportunity with five minutes to go after Becker left Heintz for dead, running onto Juranovic’s ball down the right. The cross was perfect, he put it on a plate, but Behrens headed wide.

It was both of their last touches before coming off, joined by Rousillon heading towards the bench, with Jordan Siebatcheu, Niko Giesselmann and Milos Pantovic - who scored but also missed a penalty against his former club in the last encounter between the sides - coming on.

But the last minutes were played out as Bochum camped inside the Union half, and the Unioner, worn out, bloodied, their strength sapped by a wet pitch and from being a man down for more than half an hour.

Fischer praised his side's attacking play in the first half, and their character for much of the second, calling the sending up a "wake-up call". But he was also keen to point out Bochum's strengths, how they, too, had fought in a stadium that few away sides leave as happy as they will have. 

One of the final sights of the day was Rani Khedira running fifty yards to chase a lost cause up top, the living embodiment of the spirit in this side, of the fight they have.

At the end, a point didn’t feel like enough, somehow, after all of the expectation. But they'll wake up in the morning knowing that it was one of the hardest earned ones they’ve got all year.

Union host VfL Bochum

Match preview

1. FC Union Berlin will meet VfL Bochum on Sunday, 16.04.2023 for their 28th match of the Bundesliga season, and for both clubs it could prove to be decisive. For Union, it's about ensuring European competition, whereas for Bochum it's about staying in the Bundesliga. Kick off at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei is at 17.30

The lie of the land

For third placed Union, the last seven games of the season are all about achieving their self-imposed goal of qualifying for European competition for the third season in a row. With a current ten-point lead over seventh-place Frankfurt, they have already established a fine starting position in the race for Europe.

VfL Bochum, on the other hand, are simply fighting to stay up. Although head coach Thomas Letsch's team have climbed from last to 15th place, having taken seven points from the last four games, they are still a long way from the magic 40-point mark.

The opponents

On paper, Bochum should already be down. With 30 goals scored and 60 conceded, they have the second-worst attackand the worst defense in the league. But what the Ruhrpott club does have, however, are eight victories, three times more than relegation rivals VfB Stuttgart and Hertha BSC and four times more often than bottom-placed Schalke.

Bochum team's style of play can be described in one word: intensity. In terms of the number of headers won (1), tackles (5) and fouls on opponents (3), VfL are in the top five in the league. Similar to Union, Bochum are certainly not afraid to hit the ball high and long to target player Philipp Hofmann and then challenge for knockdowns and  second balls. Wingers Christopher Antwi-Adjei and Takuma Asano are also constantly in action, hitting balls into the box for Hoffmann from the flanks. 

As much as the two teams' playing styles are similar, Union and Bochum's willingness to run differs. Only FC Köln have covered more ground than Union this season, while VfL rank last in the Bundesliga with an average of 112.25 kilometers ran per game.

The head to head

There is a long history between these sides, having played against each other 24 times. Indeed,  Fürth, St. Pauli and Düsseldorf are the only clubs from the former West that Union have played more. Union  have got their noses in front, having won 13 matches, VfL Bochum have won eight, and the points were shared twice.

The reunion

The Eisernen can look forward to the appearance of their on-loan defender Dominique Heintz. Keven Schlotterbeck also returns to his old stomping ground, on loan to Bochum from SC Freiburg.

Last but not least, Marc Lettau looks back on four and a half years at the Alte Försterei. He is currently acting as Bochum's interim sports director. On the other side, Milos Pantovic will meet his former club, against whom he scored the consolation in Union's 2-1 loss back in November.

The personnel

With the exception of András Schäfer, Union head coach Urs Fischer has the entire squad at his disposal.

The coaches' views ahead of the match

"Apart from the most recent game, Bochum have scored regularly, even when playing away from home," said Urs Fischer during his press conference on Friday afternoon. "They have a clear plan and are always quick to switch the play via wingers like Antwi-Adjei or Asano. In addition, Bochum have a clear target man in Philipp Hofmann, who is very dangerous in the box."

VfL coach Thomas Letsch, meanwhile, addressed the fortress that is the Alte Försterei in the build-up to the match: "I expect Union to have more possession in their own stadium. They are in third place and have a great home record. We must not play into their hands."

Service info: To the game by boat

Once again, there will be a rail replacement bus service on the S-Bahn line 3 between Karlshorst and Friedrichshagen. Union will therefore again offer a bus shuttle from the Karlshorst S-Bahn station from 14:30. The buses will also be available after the game from 19:15 and will travel to Karlshorst S-Bahn station. Detailed information can be found here.

A special alternative to the rail replacement service of the S3 is offered by the shipping company Eddyline. The ship Viktoria departs at 12:30 p.m. from the Fennbrücke in Moabit in a relaxed manner in the direction of Köpenick. Tickets are available directly at the Fennbrücke pier.

The game will be broadcast live on DAZN. As usual, Union will also provide information about the match in the club's own live ticker. In addition, there will be an audio stream on rbb24 Inforadio and on rbb24.de.

AFTV Videos

Frederik Rønnow

Frederik Rønnow

was Player of the Day for the last time against Bochum

Frederik Rønnow

was Player of the Day against Bochum

MatchStatistics

1. FC Union Berlin vs VfL Bochum 1848

40 % Possession 60 %
64 % Pass Completion Rate 76 %
44 % Successful Tackle Rate 56 %
10 Shots on Goal 14
10 Crosses 19
1 Yellow Cards 1
1 Yellow-Red Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0

Last match

Date Home Result Away