This victory creates a lot of anticipation for the cup. The Irons won 3-1 against Mainz after three defeats in a row without scoring themselves. But the small Kruse crisis (after his winter move to Wolfsburg) is over now. The threesome comes at just the right time.
The Köpenickers are warming up for the quarter-finals of the cup on Tuesday (8:45 p.m.) against St. Pauli. On Saturday, Hamburg jumped back to the top of the 2nd division with a 3-1 win in Ingolstadt! A cup cracker beckons the fans.
Coach Urs Fischer even spied on TV during the St. Pauli game. He says just before kick-off: “Of course I was able to watch a bit of the second division beforehand. You take something with you that should help for the analysis.”
So it’s on in two days. Captain Christopher Trimmel: “A very difficult game, but we know the rhythm from the Conference League. It will definitely be rotated to have fresh forces on the pitch.”
The goals against Mainz
► Genki Haraguchi pulls from eleven meters. Hack deflects, the ball wriggles in the net (7th). Union professionals and spectators cheer. Then referee Bastian Dankert gets a signal from video referee Guido Winkmann and watches the scene on TV.
Reason: In Haraguchi’s shot, Grischa Prömel is offside in front of 05 goalkeeper Zentner. But the midfielder does not attack.
It takes almost four minutes before Dankert actually decides on goal. For Haraguchi it is the first Bundesliga goal in more than five years. In February 2017 he scored the 1-0 winning goal for Hertha against Ingolstadt. This ends Haraguchi’s 69 premier league games without a goal.
► Next hit! Gießelmann puts the ball back on Sheraldo Becker at the far post. The offensive player pulls into the centre, flicks great from 22 meters into the far corner! No chance for hundredweight. 2: 0 (56th)!
After Kohr was sent off, Mainz is down to ten (yellow-red/60th). Taiwo Awoniyi then scored the triple.
► Union’s top striker, initially only on the bench, comes in the 67th minute and is there eight minutes later. Becker darts away on the left, lays across the free-standing Nigerian, who remains calm in front of hundredweight and inserts from eight meters. The end of his peat drought that has lasted since early December!
Burgzorg’s 1: 3 only has statistical value (90th).
In this form, Union is well prepared for the cup duel. The anticipation begins…