1. FC Union Berlin lost 1-0 away to Borussia Mönchengladbach in heartbreaking style on Saturday afternoon. Following a goalless first half and Yorbe Vertessen’s shot off the post in the second, Tomas Cvancara nipped in to head home in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

1. FC Union Berlin: Rönnow – Haberer (79. Trimmel), Doekhi, Vogt, Leite, Rothe (46. Querfeld) – Schäfer, Khedira – Jeong (62. Vertessen), Siebatcheu (79. Skarke), Hollerbach (72. Bénes) 

Borussia Mönchengladbach: Nicolas – Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Netz – Sander (76. Reitz), Weigl – Ngoumou (76. Cvancara), Stöger (72. Hack), Pléa (90. Friedrich) – Kleindienst 

The starting XI

Bo Svensson had referred to “die Qual der Wahl” during his midweek press conference – the luxurious and all too rare problem in football of having a lot of choice. Yet, as such, he was able to field the exact same starting eleven as he had in last week’s 2-1 win over Hoffenheim.

It started, as usual, with Frederik Rönnow in goal behind a back three of Diogo Leite, Kevin Vogt and Danilho Doekhi, flanked by the wingbacks - Yanik Haberer and Tom Rothe, on the right and left respectively.

Rani Khedira and Andras Schäfer were in the middle.

This left Benedict Hollerbach and Woo-yeong Jeong to do the tormenting up top, whilst Jordan Siebatcheu would lead the line as he did so effectively in the first half last weekend.

Attendance: 53.056 

Goal: 1-0 Cvancara (90. + 6) 

Union off to a strong start, but Gladbach hit back in a goalless first half

1. FC Union Berlin had started to feel like a bogey team to Borussia Mönchengladbach. Indeed, the five-time Champions had not defeated Union since May 2020, but those Berliners with longer memories will always associate the sides with the 2001 DFB Pokal semi-final victory. That was the best part of a generation – even if it feels like a lifetime ago – yet, after Saturday, they’ll do well to think of Ronny Nikol’s penalty, because this one went the other way in the cruellest of circumstances.

If the hairs on the back of many Unioner’s necks were still standing up following the blistering start they made to last week’s game against Hoffenheim, the first half of this one would follow a slightly more prosaic course. Indeed, one could say, following an early onslaught, Union’s performance – up to the devastating denouement - was now typical of their away games under Bo Svensson so far this season.

They were both compact and deep, looking to catch the hosts on the break, whilst relying on the innate strength and quality of their defence. In many ways, it all went to plan.

Union’s first sniff on goal came within the first 90 seconds, as Woo-yeong Jeong managed to catch up with a ball that bounced fortuitously off the back of his own head. Perhaps it was the shock value, but he did not manage to get any real power into his shot, all the while approaching the edge of the box.

Union had started quickly, attempting to push Mönchengladbach in order to overwhelm them from the get-go; Tom Rothe played the ball inside to Jordan with his back to goal - short and razor-sharp, and just as against Hoffenheim, the centre-forward’s touch was assured. Benedict Hollerbach nipped into spaces, left and right, while Rani Khedira and Rothe showed the first signs of a burgeoning relationship; one ball out to the right from Union’s captain for the day was flicked over the head of Philipp Sander with schoolyard-like simplicity.

Union had the wind in their sails, at least for now, as their next chance came as Rothe made another foray down the left, his low-cut back pass stabbed straight at the former Unioner in the Gladbach goal, Moritz Nicolas, by Hollerbach.

However, the hosts would come back, slowly growing into the game having ridden out Union’s initial dominance early on.

Luca Netz mishit his pass straight at Andras Schäfer, loitering in the space between the Union box and the centre-circle like as if he was the last man left to clean up following a chaotic party. Sander would then come much closer after quarter of an hour, with his volley flying just over following a cleverly worked free-kick routine that saw the ball played short, before being whipped in from the right.

Their danger man, Tim Kleindienst – who Svensson had mentioned specifically in his press conference, was suddenly thronged by black-shirted Union players as he found the ball at his feet with the hint of a chance flashing in front of his eyes.

It took a frantic Khedira clearance after Luca Netz’ weakly hit shot under pressure, following a good bit of work from Peter Stöger on Gladbach’s right wing, while Stöger himself should have done better than shooting over with 26 minutes played.

Union needed to release a little bit of the pressure. Predictably, when they could, it came through Rothe’s industriousness on the left, as well as Hollerbach’s quick feet and determination.

Yet, Gladbach continued to pushed on, looking for an opener to try and put a stop to their horrendous seven-month winless streak at home. Nathan N’Goumou drew the first save from Rönnow just after the half-an-hour mark, as he put it too close to Union’s stopper. Rönnow landed on Janik Haberer a short while after, leaving Union’s wing-back wincing, although not mortally wounded.

It took until the 41st minute for the hosts to have their first corner, which certainly came as a surprise, but less so was the move it developed into, as Alassane Plea’s deflected shot was flagged offside, as N’Goumou found himself having slightly strayed over Union’s superbly diligent and rigid defensive line.

Similarly to their away games at Mainz and Leipzig, Union went into the break goalless. It was not only a situation they were used to; it was probably also one they were pleasantly satisfied with.

Vertessen comes close, before Cvancara’s crushing blow

What Union’s Danish boss couldn’t have predicted was that he would have to take off Rothe at the break, replacing him with Leopold Querfeld, a move which saw Diogo Leite move out to the left-hand side.

The Portuguese has been playing superbly well all season and advancing with increasing regularity too, his eyes aglow, with his feet showing the tricks he tries to keep under wraps when doing his main job. Now was his chance to take the shackles off a little and he combined quickly with Hollerbach up near the corner flag after only a couple of minutes.

Querfeld’s first notable move, meanwhile, was to track Plea back thirty yards, snapping at his heels all the way and earning a yellow card for his troubles. He would prove to be an excellent substitution in place of Leite.

Schäfer couldn’t believe he hadn’t won a corner on the other side, seven minutes into the half, a grin spreading out across his boyish face in disbelief, just as Hollerbach was fuming when he tussled with Kou Itakura after an hour - both of them scrapping for the ball almost on the byline, directly in front of the more than 3,000 Unioner in the corner. It was a clash that would see the Japanese international holding his shoulder in pain as he went down. Hollerbach however would have it worse soon enough.

If things were going according to plan (barring the long moment Leite was out flat on the floor, down after an accidental clash with his skipper, Khedira, as they went for the same ball,), it wasn’t the most enthralling sight as the second half wore on, but Svensson looked to inject a little more life into the game as he brought on Yorbe Vertessen for the tiring Jeong at the hour mark.

It worked. Suddenly Haberer burst down the right in acres of space, yet somehow unsighted, Hollerbach couldn’t turn the ball home as he came in behind Jordan at pace.

It was then that Hollerbach’s day was over. He took the brunt of a thrown Joesph Scally elbow with 20 minutes left to play - his nose bloodied and his body shaking. It was a hell of a blow and even the booked Gladbach full-back winced as he touched the offending limb.

Hollerbach was withdrawn straight away, replaced by László Bénes with 20 minutes left to play, but it was on his side that Union would conjure their next chance, as Leite set Vertessen away, only to see him shoot wide of the near post.

It was one of few and the game by now was characterised more by the challenges being launched - such as Plea’s on Schäfer that saw him get a yellow card and the long balls being launched into either box.

Svensson made his final changes not long afterwards, bringing on Christopher Trimmel for Haberer on the right and Tim Skarke for Jordan. Union stepped up a final time, as Vertessen and Schäfer exchanged passes on the edge of the box, as did Trimmel and Skarke.

Skarke drove high and wide from distance with five minutes left to play, but the best chance would fall to Vertessen, who ran onto a picture-perfect lofted pass, leaving his marker and striking with his left foot across goal, only to see the ball crash off the base of the back post and away to safety.

Vertessen flashed a header at Skarke’s excellent cross a moment later, unable to get a meaningful connection on the ball due to Itakura’s attentions and height on the ball.

It was hard to say who would have felt happiest at the sign of eight minutes time being added on, as the 90 was up - “There aren't many games in the Bundesliga with so much added time,” said a gutted Svensson after the final whistle, while staying careful not to lay the blame at the referee’s door, yet it saw the hosts back in attack, the ball zipping across the Union box dangerously evading Kleindienst by millimetres as he slid into the six yard box, even with a couple of men back – the footballing equivalent of sleeping with one-eye open.

Then, when all looked said and done, with only two minutes left, Tomas Cvancara nipped in ahead of his man to head Robin Hack’s clever ball in from the right past a helpless Rönnow. It was a fine finish, but the Unioner won’t be able to see that for a while yet. It hurt too much and Kevin Vogt summed up his side’s disappointment, calling it: “completely unnecessary.” “We can play the ball away better than that,” he continued, “when you concede a goal in the 96th minute, it's bitter.”

They had done so much right, the plan had come so close to fruition, but football is a cruel game and Svensson tried to see the positives. “We'll now process this, then look ahead and remain true to our path.”

Sometimes, you just have to take one on the chin.