Featured Game – Union Berlin 2-1 RB Leipzig
Matchday 34 – the final round of fixtures in the Bundesliga and there was still much yet to be decided. There was drama at both ends of the table, with the relegation battle reaching its conclusion, but it was the race for seventh spot that concerned the capital side Union Berlin. Unlike their city rivals Hertha, who only had a late season surge to thank for ensuring their Bundesliga status just last weekend, Union were in search of their first taste of continental football in 20 years and currently resided in the place in the standings allocated for the inaugural Europa Conference League, the new third tier European competition. Nevertheless, the hosts were arguably not favourites to finish in their current spot, with a tough task against second-placed RB Leipzig ahead and Borussia Mönchengladbach, who sat just a point behind Union, ready to take full advantage of any slip-up as they played strugglers Werder.
Berlin were boosted though by the return of fans to the stadium, and they are some fans that Union have. The supporters have stuck by through and thin and, despite a significant history of financial troubles, they have continued cheering on their side and even built their current stadium. Ultimately, their backing is what got Union Berlin to the Bundesliga for the first time last campaign and after an initial strong season, in this this their second season, Union have been one of the league’s most impressive teams, showing that spirit and system can overcome a limited transfer budget. On the other hand, their opponents at the Stadion an der alten Försterei were RB Leipzig, who have not been shy to splash the cash provided by big-money shareholders Red Bull since they reached the German top-flight. However, they do employ a similar recruitment to Union, carefully picking out players to fit their way of playing, although their increased budget does allow them to sign some of the hottest young prospects keen to join in the possession-based while fast-paced football that the side from the East love to play. Another difference between the teams is their take on kit design. While Union sported their smart home shirt for this past season, RB Leipzig saw the final day game as a chance to unveil their rather bold new away kit for next campaign. With a black base colour, the flashes of vivid greens, yellows and reds across the front epitomise the club’s fiery attacking while ensuring that the fans of RB will not go amiss anywhere if they choose to purchase the new threads.
Luckily for the fans in attendance, the liveliness of the visitors’ kit was reflected by the pattern of the game. The first half saw a couple of decent chances, one for either side. Union’s Petar Musa was the first player to have a really good effort, striking the upright when the ball came to him just inside the 18-yard box. Goalkeeper Gulacsi was beaten, but unfortunately for Musa the frame of the goal was not. Marcel Sabitzer passed up the best opportunity of the opening period for Leipzig after a succession of threatening-looking play, however the away team’s Austrian captain could only fire a low shot wide of the target. 0-0 at half time then, but with Union probably needing a win to secure entry into Europe next season, the pace of the game had to be upped further.
What often seems to happen though, when going in search of a go-ahead goal, is that you get caught out at the other end and it was due to an horrific error of judgement from veteran keeper Andreas Luthe that RB Leipzig were gifted the lead on 55 minutes. A ball through the middle of the pitch split the Union defence, however Luthe still seemed in charge of the situation. That was until he charged out of his goal and let Justin Kluivert easily knock the ball round him. The Dutch forward then had the simple task of passing the ball into the unguarded net to hand the visitors the lead. The goalkeeper looked desolate, knowing the probable implications that the concession of the goal would have and he now needed his team to bail him out. However, netting twice against a Champions League side is never going to be straight-forward and might just require a moment of inspiration. Luckily for the Luthe and the watching Union fans, that is exactly what they got.
A corner kick three-quarters of the way through may have appeared somewhat threatening purely on the basis of Berlin’s record from set pieces. However, dead ball specialist Christopher Trimmel had something extra special up his sleeve in his team’s time of need. He fired a cross in towards the near post, away from the goal just enough to evade the defenders, picking out the onrushing Marvin Friedrich. The man who is actually a centre-half himself has had an unusually good season in front of goal, but no previous strike had even come close to the quality of the hit he came up with in this one. He lashed home an expert volley from around the penalty spot that he met at waist-height. The power on the shot gave Gulacsi no chance as Friedrich’s effort whistled into the top corner for parity in the match once more. Now Union had to press on, despite an inherent desire to probably just try and hold what they had against a top Leipzig side, but time was of the essence and a winner is what they desperately required. They had to ride their luck at times at the back though, and Luthe more than made up for his earlier error saving his side on a number of occasions, most notably when he made a spectacular triple-save to deny the Red Bulls a second. Therefore, he left the door open for late drama at the opposite end.
Union Berlin coach Urs Fischer has been one of the most impressive in the Bundesliga since their promotion, achieving some great results and now two very impressive end-of-season finishes in the table. He stroked his tactical wand again in this one ten minutes from time, bringing on exciting winger Sheraldo Becker to add a creative spark and he certainly had the intended impact. As the clock ticked over to the second minute of injury time, Becker stood up a cross to the far post where Union’s main man in attack, Max Kruse, was waiting. He stooped to head home an effort into the corner off the post, and hence snatched all three points putting the capital side into Europe next season. The late winner sent the home fans into delirium along with the players who had fought so hard, not just in this game but over the course of the entire season, and it only makes one wonder how high they may have finished if their stadium had been full to the brim all campaign. The home fans allowed in next season will not care one bit though, with the potential opportunity to host the likes of Tottenham Hotspur in the Conference League.
The Games Keep Coming
Werder Bremen 2-4 Borussia Mönchengladbach
While Union were ecstatic at the end of their game on the final day of the season, there was a very contrasting mood for the home team in Bremen. Survival looked like a tough task after a really bleak run of results and the visitors to the Weserstadion came in the form of Mönchengladbach, who still had a shot of clinching the Conference League spot if Union failed to win but were ultimately denied by that late Kruse winner in the capital. Therefore, the Foals approached the match with every intention of going full out to grab the three points. If that were to happen though, and Köln won at home to bottom side Schalke, Werder Bremen would be condemned to the drop and football in the 2. Bundesliga next season. The hosts got off to the worst possible start as well, conceding inside three minutes to Lars Stindl who would go on to have quite the afternoon. The second half was when the contest really got away from Bremen though, and a second goal was added by Marcus Thuram just five minutes after the restart. The third swiftly followed and a Stindl ball into the box from a dead ball was unbelievably headed towards the far top corner by Rami Bensebaini. His effort lopped over Pavlenka in goal for 3-0. That effectively sealed the win for Gladbach and with it Werder’s relegation. However, the away side were not done there and Florian Neuhaus netted a fourth, also provided with an assist by his captain Stindl. With the game now out of their reach, Bremen strangely decided that this was the time to start playing and a late resurgence came out of nowhere. Rashica waltzed through the opposing back line to slot one home, before Füllkrug doubled their tally, but the fightback turned out to be in vain. The match ended 4-2 to Gladbach and Bremen will be sent to the second tier after Köln had won their tie to climb into the play-off spot. The gravity of the situation was clear to see at the final whistle, with Werder players, fans and staff evidently distraught. The latter were allocated a limited number of seats in the stands for this final day spectacle, but they may have wished that they were anywhere else rather than the place where their team got relegated from the top-flight.
Bayern München 5-2 Augsburg
There were also a reduced number of fans in the Allianz Arena, however they came to support their side in very different circumstances. Matchday 34 for Bayern brought a clash with fellow Bavarians Augsburg, but also the day where they would be officially crowned Bundesliga champions for the ninth straight season, as they would lift the Meisterschale at the end of the game. For that reason, there was a celebratory atmosphere in the stadium before and during the course of the 90 minutes, and the freedom with which the home team played showed that the players were more than enjoying the experience. However, there was still one aim for Bayern that was at the forefront of everyone’s minds – the single-season scoring record that Robert Lewandowski had matched last week. He had equalled Gerd Müller’s 40-goal haul that had previously been unrivalled since the great German striker accomplished the feat back in the 1971/72 campaign, but what Lewandowski wanted, and in truth almost every football fan too, was for the record to be broken in this game. The Pole needed just one more to do it, but would the pressure of achieving the historic total get too much for even München’s main man?
What Lewandowski did have to endure was a frustrating first half, seeing a number of his fellow attacking players find the net with ease and even Augsburg centre-half Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, even if it was his own net. The visiting defender could not deal with a ball fired across the face of the goal and he ended up diverting the ball in to set the ball rolling for the hosts. Bayern ran Augsburg ragged in the opening period of the game and goals for Gnabry, Kimmich and then Coman made the half time score 4-0. The latter two strikes both came from outside the box, exemplifying the quality that the German champions possess; however, Lewandowski had a rather disappointing 45 by his very high standards. He came close to scoring on more than one occasion, but just failed to either find the target with a shot or latch onto balls in front of goal. The second half offered a fresh chance to grab the monumental goal, however it was not even Lewandowski’s team that would have the better of the scoring in this section of the contest. Augsburg found a way past Manuel Neuer twice in just four minutes, first through an Andre Hahn header before Florian Niederlechner added a second, to make the score board read somewhat more respectable for the visitors in this final day fixture. But in the end, they were unable to prevent the seemingly inevitable. When Leroy Sané took on a shot from outside the area in the 90th minute, the Augsburg defence would have been pleased to see it heading straight for keeper Rafal Gikiewicz, however the venom on the strike made it difficult to deal and the ball was spilt. None of the members of the away back line were quick enough to react and it was Lewandowski who saw his opportunity to pounce. Just reaching the ball ahead of compatriot Gikiewicz, the forward manoeuvred his way round his opponent before slotting into the back of the net. 41 up for the season and a new Bundesliga record! Lewandowski’s teammates were ecstatic for him and almost seemed happier than the striker himself, however the moment had not quite sunk in yet for the record breaker, although a look of astonishment did cross his face at one point. The goal was the perfect end to another very successful campaign for Bayern München, and the triumphant feeling in the Allianz carried through after the game’s conclusion to the trophy lift that followed. Captain Neuer gave the Meisterschale to long-serving departing players Martinez, Boateng and Alaba to hold aloft and get the party really underway. Every player did get their chance to raise the silverware, but Hansi Flick as well, the coach who has had so much success, leading Bayern to seven trophies in under two years at the helm. He is also leaving with the season at its end, as he prepares to take over the German national team after the upcoming European Championships.
Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen
What turned out to be a very straightforward final game of the season for Dortmund at home to rivals Bayer Leverkusen was largely overshadowed by the emotional scenes towards the end of the match. Haaland and Reus had been on fire as the Gelbschwarzen led comfortably, when a number of substitutions saw some Bundesliga greats bow out of the league and the beautiful game altogether. Lukas Piszczek’s replacement fifteen minutes from time signalled the end of his 11-year spell with Borussia, although he will continue his involvement with football, returning to his native Poland to work with a third-tier side. However, the Bender twins, Lars and Sven, are both retiring and this was their final game for Bayer. It was a touching moment when Sven, who had played 89 minutes, actually came off for his brother right before the end. Lars’ first involvement in the game was to step up and take a penalty that Leverkusen had just been awarded, and he slotted it in to the delight of players and staff of both teams, although keeper Roman Bürki honourably made little attempt to stop the effort. The final whistle also brought with it the conclusion of another great Bundesliga career – that of referee Manuel Gräfe, who at the age of 47 made this clash the last he will officiate in. Standing at six feet six inches, and with a strangely likeable and friendly personality for a referee, he brought a breath of fresh air to officiating and will be sorely missed.
Rest of the Round-Up
Stuttgart 0-2 Arminia Bielefeld
Two of the teams still with something to play for were Stuttgart and Bielefeld, however the hosts’ shot at clinching seventh spot was slim, with many other results needing to go their way, whereas Arminia’s survival bid was fully in their own hands and they knew a win would be enough to ensure that they would play top-flight football again next campaign.
Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 Freiburg
Freiburg, like Stuttgart, also had an outside chance of moving into the Conference League place when they kicked off away to Frankfurt. However, the home team had enjoyed a successful season, which only saw their fight for the top four ended last week as they lost Schalke. They got back to winning ways on the final day here though, as an exciting second half brought four goals, three of which went the way of Eintracht.
Wolfsburg 2-3 Mainz
Arguably two of the most impressive sides after the winter break, the Volkswagen Arena was the scene for a thrilling clash between Wolfsburg and Mainz. Although Philipp and Joao Victor netted a couple of fantastic goals for the home side, it was enough to take a point from the contest, as the visitors one-upped them, able to grab three, the last of which came via a Stefan Bell header from a corner in what may prove to be the defender’s final game for Mainz.
Köln 1-0 Schalke
With a victory essential for maintaining their Bundesliga status, Köln went all out to try and find their biggest goal of the season. They dominated in terms of shots on goal and had two-thirds of the possession as well, but as the clock ticked round to the 86th minute, it looked as if their efforts would be unrewarded. Seeing as Arminia were well on course to win in Stuttgart at this point, the best that the Billy Goats could hope to reach was the relegation play-off spot, however with Bremen trailing heavily to Gladbach, a late winner for Köln would mean that they would not be sent down at least for now. Therefore, the Rhein-Energie Stadion erupted when Sebastiaan Bornauw nodded one in at the back stick with fewer than five minutes of normal time to go to clinch the crucial three points and send Bremen crashing down to the second tier.
Hoffenheim 2-1 Hertha Berlin
For a game with purely pride at stake, a last gasp winner may not have seemed on the cards, but with the contest finely poised at one a-piece as the game moved into injury time, Andrej Kramaric stepped up to win it for Hoffenheim. He had also scored in the previous matchday to break the single-season scoring record for the side from Sinsheim, but his strike meant he achieved an impressive 20 goal tally for a player in a bottom-half club.
A Few Words On… Max Kruse
After netting the all-important winner on the final day of the season to send Union Berlin into European competition for the first time in two decades, it only felt right that Max Kruse should get a mention. The 33-year-old former German international has been a revelation in his first campaign with the team from the capital and his tenacious style of play fits in perfectly with the attitude of the club and its die-hard fans. Not only does he work hard though, but Kruse brings a consistent added touch of quality that his teammates lack at times, shown by his eleven goals and five assists in the Bundesliga this season. As well as being a footballer, he is also an avid poker player, and perhaps his move to return to Germany at this latter stage of his career could have been viewed as a gamble. Before Union, Kruse had been playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey, however disputes over wages meant that the forward terminated his contract after only a year with the club. His time with Fenerbahce was far from unproductive in front of goal, but his prior Bundesliga career was one of the most impressive of any player throughout the 2010s, featuring for Freiburg, Mönchengladbach, Wolfsburg and then Werder Bremen, with whom he enjoyed his most fruitful spell. Bremen had actually been the club that Kruse made his senior breakthrough at, but only made one appearance first time round. When he re-joined the club though, he was the star man up top, and three years of consistent top performances led to his appointment as captain by then-manager Florian Kohfeldt. As Kruse moved into his early 30s however, he decided a change of scenery was for the best and chose not to extend his contract with Werder in order to make his Turkish switch. Now back firing in his home country, it is hard to think anything other than that the Bundesliga is where Max Kruse belongs.
What to Look Forward to Next Matchday
Köln vs. Holstein Kiel
With Matchday 34 done and dusted, the season is surely over, right? Wrong.
There is still 180 minutes of the most nail-biting, high-stakes football still to be played in the shape of the relegation/promotion play-off. After Bornauw’s late header meant that Köln leapfrogged Bremen on the final day, their situation seemed to look a whole lot brighter, however the threat of the drop still looms large. They must survive a trying two-legged tie against the third-placed side from the 2. Bundesliga, Holstein Kiel. The odds are probably in Köln’s favour, seeing as only six second tier sides have ever overcome a Bundesliga opponent to go up via the play-off, the last of which being Union Berlin against Stuttgart back in 2019.
However, Kiel are not a side short on confidence after having a very bright campaign. They reached the DFB-Pokal semi-finals knocking out the mighty Bayern München along the way, and really they looked good to finish in the automatic promotion spots in their division, before a late season drop-off saw them fall into the play-off position. Therefore, this one could really go either way. But if Kiel do win, then the Bundesliga will have lost three giants this season: Schalke, Bremen and Köln.