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1. FC Union Berlin and SC Freiburg played out a goalless draw on a wonderful Friday evening under the floodlights at the Alte Försterei. Despite the scoreline, the game was rich in excitement and was lit up by Frederik Rönnow’s first-half penalty save from Eren Dinkçi.
1. FC Union Berlin: Rönnow – Trimmel, Doekhi, Vogt, Leite, Skov (78. Querfeld) – Kemlein (84. Haberer), Khedira – Jeong (72. Schäfer), Hollerbach (72. Skarke), Vertessen (72. Siebatcheu)
SC Freiburg: Atubolu – Kübler (76. Rosenfelder), Ginter, Lienhart, Günter – Eggestein, Osterhage (76. Höfler) – Dōan, Dinkçi, Grifo (90.+2 Muslija) – Adamu (76. Höler)
The starting XI
Bo Svensson made only two changes to the side that started in last weekend’s loss away to Bayern München. In typical fashion, Frederik Rönnow was between the sticks, behind Diogo Leite – returning to his usual berth on the left-hand side of the back three which also featured Kevin Vogt and Danilho Doekhi. This meant that Christopher Trimmel would retain his place on the right, whilst Robert Skov made his first ever start for Union on the left instead of Tom Rothe, who had been withdrawn from the squad as a precautionary measure.
Rani Khedira and Aljoscha Kemlein were in central midfield, hoping to provide the bite and depth for Benedict Hollerbach, Wooyeong Jeong and Yorbe Vertessen – the latter in for Jordan Siebatcheu.
Attendance: 22,012
Both sides went at one another – Rönnow saves Union
It had been 20 years since Union last lost at home to SC Freiburg – a game which witnessed Union in seventh, as they were going into this one, even if inhabiting a league below and a different world all about. And, after a superb game here on Friday evening, despite what the scoreline tells you, they still haven’t.
If this game lacked the goals of that 4-0 loss, and the drama of last season’s thrilling denouement, Frederik Rönnow still knew how to bring out a performance on this stunning stage.
His time would come.
But if he knows the Alte Försterei inside out, never before had Robert Skov started a game for Union, and he would have been forgiven for a fluttering of nerves as a demonic choreo spanned the length of the Waldseite at kick off, featuring blazing eyes, smoke and fire and the hellish din of the crowd. Yet, his first touch was a sure one – a firm header inside to where Aljoscha Kemlein immediately set Yorbe Vertessen away on the inside right.
Vertessen has improved exponentially since his arrival halfway through last season and his confidence was there for all to see, as was the certainty of his touch at pace when he went on the run. His touch, behind himself as he attempted to turn Lukas Kübler after five minutes, was both elegant and rapid.
However, it was his partner up-front, Wooyeong Jeong, who had the opening attempt on goal as Union started off brightly – unfortunately, his shot was scuffed towards the excellent Noah Atubolu in the Freiburg goal and caused him little trouble. Atubolu had short sleeves for a cold night. But, were they there, he’d have had them rolled up – he was decisive in goal for the guests.
Freiburg were a place above Union in the table, and it showed. They broke the hosts’ shackles after ten minutes – thankfully, Danilho Doekhi was in the right place at the right time to rise above Chukwubuike Adamu in order to head the ball clear. Then, Christian Günter’s drive from distance flew wide of Frederik Rönnow’s right-hand side.
Both sides were looking to attack – Kemlein almost had a moment of fortune as Osterhage’s attempted clearance was blocked by the young midfielder – the ball’s momentum looping over Atubolu and clearing the crossbar. The move resulting from a barrelling Khedira run through the middle and Jeong’s turn backwards whilst searching for further space.
There was barely time to catch a breath – Hollerbach was constantly involved, spearheading many of Union’s attacks, throwing himself at a bicycle-kick in a crowded box one minute, going down under Phillipp Lienhart’s challenge the next.
Then… panic!
Eren Dinkçi went down from Khedira’s tug from behind, shortly after Kübler found space to run towards the Union box and sent him through. Though, he went down easily – the referee showed no pause in calling for a foul, dead centre on the very edge of the box.
The boos were deafening as he returned to the touchline – the call coming from afar that he should have given a penalty – but they were suddenly replaced by roars of joy as Vincenzo Grifo saw his spot-kick saved superbly by Rönnow, getting down low to his right-hand side and palming the ball away. The rebound dropped over his bar as all bedlam broke loose in the stands for Union’s stopper.
“I had a good feeling about it, and just went the right way”, deadpanned the Dane later.
He had just been presented an award for his 100th Bundesliga appearance before kick-off. This only added to his already huge status in Köpenick. The star-stopper ran out to collect the ball ahead of Ritsu Doan on the 25th minute mark with typical, unflappable certainty.
Freiburg took it in their stride and piled on the pressure – the superb Kevin Vogt taking Grifo’s shot full in the face when it seemed goal bound. He waited until the ball had flown to safety before collapsing to the floor. He is made of tough stuff. Skov’s sliding tackle on Adamu with almost 35 minutes played as the ball came in from the right-hand side was expertly timed, taking the ball along with the man.
At the other end Vertessen received a pass down on his chest and glided past Lienhart before getting muscled off the ball. He was, to use an old phrase, looking like he could dance across a puddle and not make a splash – he implored the referee for a free kick when brought down by Osterhage in another dangerous position just outside the Freiburg box.
Union’s best chance came on the 43rd minute after Leite had won a corner, towering in the box, as Vertessen hit the resulting set-piece deep, before Skov’s flick on – it was he who had snuck around to the back post, only to put his thigh-high volley wide of the mark when the goal suddenly seemed to be gaping in front of him.
He frustratingly grimaced – still awaiting his first league goal for Union. “We always want to win, especially here at our stadium”, he said after the final whistle. He was doing his best.
Both keepers impress, yet the game remains goalless
Vertessen started the second half buzzing around in attack as he laid the ball off for Khedira – advancing into the box and taking the ball back, working his way out right, before the hard-working Yeong played his pass into the box where Atubolu was waiting to grab a hold of it with both hands.
Union came closer still with five minutes of the second half played. Hollerbach won a free-kick out on the left which was dummied by Trimmel and whipped in by Skov. Union’s captain, however, had drifted into a position outside the box – his shot cannoned back out towards him was true and hard, Atubolu palming it away as he dived to his right-hand side.
Once more, Freiburg came back into things – Dinkci saw his right-footed shot fly just wide of Rönnow’s left-hand post, though the Union keeper seemed to have it well covered as he threw himself towards it. He held onto Günter’s volley with an hour played, low to his other side in calming fashion.
Union countered immediately – it was that sort of a game, one which was utterly compelling, the two sides seeking to tear into each other every time they had the ball – Atubolu did superbly once again to fingertip Vertessen’s next effort just over the bar – the Belgian having combined with Khedira in the buildup.
Kemlein was next to force the keeper into a save – this time with his side-foot when he had time to pick his spot with around 20 minutes to play. Atubolu then held Vertessen’s header with a certain simplicity – hands above his head. It was almost Vertessen’s last touch as Bo Svensson brought him, Hollerbach and Jeong off in a complete swap of the attacking trio for Jordan Siebatcheu, Tim Skarke and Andras Schäfer – the latter’s first touch being to nick the ball away from the boot of Dinkçi as Freiburg attacked once more.
Schäfer had come on with a point to prove – his next touch was to tackle Osterhage, before working his way towards goal, getting tackled before he could finish off his one-two with Jordan.
Skarke was next, when he took on Kemlein’s insightful crossfield ball – cut inside and rifled a shot past the back post. Soon enough, Svensson made another change, this time bringing on Leopold Querfeld for Skov, whose debut had been excellent, meaning a shift out to the left again for the increasingly versatile Portuguese. Leite was flitting from front to back, but his most vital intervention came with five minutes to spare when he stopped Doan in his tracks.
They were joined by Janik Haberer, replacing Kemlein, who once more was a composed and influential presence for Union in the middle – it’s easy to forget that this was only his fourth ever start in the league.
There was still time for Rönnow to excel again – this time saving brilliantly from Nicolas Höfler, as he suddenly slipped onto a ball from the right and seemed certain to open the scoring. Freiburg were piling on the pressure again – Lienhart flashed a header over the bar after a sustained battle in the box, the ball in the air throughout.
There were huge calls for a penalty at the other end with only four minutes remaining when Jordan went down in the box, yet the Union striker, despite all his hard graft, is flush out of luck at the moment and his pleas were ignored. He managed to drag a shot out of play a minute later while on the floor, but again it screwed wide. Selfless as ever, he was back in his own box a minute after that clearing up in the D.
Haberer, who of course scored here against his old club with the last kick of last season, hit a wonderful volley, almost repeating the trick, but again Atubolu was able to tip it over the bar. He was to have no repeat of the previous fairytale, no matter how finely it was struck.
Svensson was certainly happy with the draw. “It wasn’t an easy game for us,” he said. “Freiburg are a good team and showed that. We also had good spells, but for the most part we weren’t really in the game. In the end it’s a draw and we’ll take the point.’
Despite everything, this was still an outstanding point earned through the efforts of their stopper. “Naturally, I’m happy when I can help the team”, said Rönnow, looking barely like he’d played a game out there at all. He smiled, if only briefly, before disappearing off again to enjoy the international break.
They all could.
