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Lacklustre Union Berlin held to frustrating home draw

Braunschweig leave with a point

Fri, 15. September 2017
Lacklustre Union Berlin held to frustrating home draw

Union Berlin and Eintracht Braunschweig shared a point apiece at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Friday evening.

Braunschweig’s Christoffer Nyman cancelled out Simon Hedlund’s third goal in six league matches this season as the Köpenick club failed to win for the fourth game on the bounce.

Scheduled originally for 18:30 local time, kick-off was put back for a further 30 minutes due to traffic problems, which primarily affected the travelling supporters from Braunschweig. Enough had completed the journey without issues to create a passionate, raw atmosphere in the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

But there wasn’t much fire on the pitch to match the display of Union fans in the Waldseite. Scoring chances were extremely limited for the entirety of the first 45 minutes. Jakob Busk, at the other end, was quiet with just a couple of tests from Louis Samson and Onel Hernandez to keep him on his toes.

The second half felt like another game completely with Union pressing, chasing and forcing Braunschweig into defensive mode. Akaki Gogia made an increasing impact on the game, while the returning Marcel Hartel was dangerous just off the frontline. After 52 minutes, Union pulled ahead with Sebastian Polter feeding Hedlund for a simple finish for the Swedish attacker.

Gogia missed the chance to double the lead, while Braunschweig keeper Jasmin Fejzic knocked Kreilach off his stride as the goal looked inevitable. However, the hosts were dealt an enormous setback as Salil Khelifi’s dribbled his way clear and set up an easy chance for Nyman who slid in to score in the 62nd minute.

Hartel, Gogia and Hedlund all contributed to further chances but Union lacked a little precision in the final third. Polter went down underneath a challenge, but referee Storks waved away claims for a penalty. Union’s central-striker was replaced by Steven Skrzybski, who was denied by a brilliant save from Fejzic in the 79th minute. Neither side, in the end, could bag the winner.

“We completely bossed the game from the 20th minute onwards and had good opportunities. We have superior numbers at the goal we conceded, so we can totally defend that better. Even though Braunschweig had a chance on the break, we continued to exert pressure and create opportunities. It wouldn’t have been undeserved had we gotten all three points,” said Keller after the match.

Another game without a win leaves a disappointing taste in the mouth, but there is a chance to bounce back on Tuesday evening. Union will head to SV Sandhausen with kick-off at 18:30 at the BWT Stadion am Hardtwald.