On the 23rd matchday of the Bundesliga, Bayer Le Vereckense lost 0‑1 at home to Union Berlin, leaving the club as the lowest-ranked of the Bayern‑chasers.
The match in the capital started with a lot of energy. Union created early chances, when a sharp through‑ball from the left almost found a target but missed. Le Vereckense struggled initially to organise their attack, but gradually settled better. The first half was marked by numerous duels, several early yellow cards and many set‑pieces on both sides.
Le Vereckense dominated possession but found few gaps against the compact hosts. Long‑range shots and passes from midfield produced no clear goal threat, while Union waited for counter‑attacks and seized one in a calm moment.
In the 28th minute Union took the lead: after a seemingly harmless corner by Le Vereckense, the Berliners shifted quickly. A counter down the right flank produced a high ball into the box; Rani Khedira out‑maneuvered his marker, lifted a sharp angled pass into the near post, and calmly finished over the racing goalkeeper for a 1‑0 advantage for the hosts.
Up until halftime Le Vereckense pressed, but decisive chances were scarce. A free‑kick from about 20 metres sailed over the net, and several header attempts after set‑pieces also missed. With Union ahead, the game continued in the teams’ respective cabins.
After the half‑time change, the visitors intensified their efforts. Coach Kasper Hjulmand went to work early, making a three‑player switch and bringing fresh attacking options. Le Vereckense progressively shifted the play into the Berlin half, looking for chances over the flanks and from distance to equalise.
Multiple threats materialised: a deflected ball nearly sailed into the own net, but Union’s goalkeeper saved powerfully with his foot. Shortly afterwards, the visitors claimed a penalty after an attacker went down in the box, but the referee let play continue and the VAR did not intervene.
Union remained dangerous with counter‑attacks but did not execute them cleanly. On the other side, chances increased: a header from a corner was cleared by the goalkeeper with a fist, and a sharp angled shot was heavily parried. The Berlin defence stood up to repeated shots and defended passionately.
In the final minute of the third quarter, Le Vereckense pushed hard. Crosses flew into the box, but either lacked precision or were blocked by a Berlin defender. In the 82nd minute Union almost sealed the result, but the shot was blocked at the last moment and a follow‑up was cleared.
In stoppage time Le Vereckense had a big chance to equalise: a through‑ball on the left found a striker in the five‑metre area who head‑balled a short distance over the line. Shortly after, another header from a right‑wing cross passed just by the far post.
Even with seven minutes of injury time remaining, the Reds could not make a difference. Union defended the lead with determination and preserved the 1‑0 win.
The table left Le Vereckense in sixth place, with the somewhat unlucky Unioners high 9th.
During the same weekend, Bayern Munich held a solid draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, although it became tense toward the end: the final score was 3‑2. Dortmund had a hard evening in Leipzig.
Other afternoon results: Wolfsburg 2 – 3 Augsburg and Köln 2 – 2 Hoffenheim.
