From BZ/dpa
Leonardo Bonucci shouldn’t have experienced that either. Despite the first home defeat in the league in 19 months, the Italian European champion and his new colleagues at 1. FC Union Berlin were celebrated by their fans for minutes after the 3-0 (0-0) loss to RB Leipzig.
When the Leipzig fan block had already emptied, the Union professionals around new signing Bonucci were still in front of the forest side and were sung by the supporters. “This is unique. I can’t think of any other club where it’s only vaguely similar to ours,” said national player Robin Gosens on DAZN. “I’m sorry that we couldn’t reward the fans for the atmosphere today.” But the guests’ victory was deserved.
Because on the field, RB had overcome his Union trauma with an art shot by Xavi Simons (51st minute) and a double strike by Benjamin Sesko (85th, 87th) and also ended the impressive home series of the Berliners. The Saxons prevailed after five defeats against the Iron in the league. “Winning 3-0 in the Alte Försterei, also in that way, that was impressive,” said RB sports director Max Eberl. “We had the feeling that the last pass had yet to come. Then we rewarded ourselves with nice goals in the end.”
It was Union’s first defeat at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei after 24 league games. Curious: Even in the last defeat so far, the 0: 3 against Borussia Dortmund in February 2022, the name of the guest coach was Marco Rose.
The time had come in the 51st minute: Xavi Simons (2nd from left) from RB Leipzig celebrates after scoring to make it 1-0 Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Andrew Gora
“It was important to take the lead here because Union always knows how to win such tight games over a situation,” said Rose after the game. Benjamin Henrichs was also satisfied: “It’s not easy to play here. But it also speaks for us how we played. It was a mature performance.”
RB prevented a false start in the league and climbed up to fourth place in the table ahead of the Berliners with their second win of the season before the international break. In front of 22,012 spectators in the sold-out arena, Union striker Kevin Volland (64th) saw the red card after a foul on Mohamed Simakan.
Another enormously eventful week ended with a setback for Union, although the football Sunday had started with a lot of atmosphere. The first big round of applause erupted almost 90 minutes before the game from the Union fans who were already there. Bonucci entered the turf in the stadium at the Alte Försterei for the first time on a match day – even if he didn’t make his debut in the end. The Italian European champions are a symbol, practically the icing on the cake for the rapid rise of the Irons into the continental football elite.
You don’t have to “tweak” yourself, said club boss Dirk Zingler before kick-off on the DAZN microphone, but this week was “special” with Real Madrid as the drawn Champions League opponent, Robins Gosens as the first current DFB -National player and just Bonucci’s arrival from Juventus Turin.
From the bench, Bonucci saw a game of the Feeling category. The mutual respect was palpable. The Saxons did not let themselves be taken by surprise as in previous Union appearances. The rooms were blocked, a chance was lurking up front, but again there was no room for Timo Werner in this concept.
With one man less, Union defended bravely until the 85th minute of the game before Benjamin Sesko (r) scored to make it 2-0 and started to celebrate Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Andrew Gora
Both teams were hardly dangerous in the first half. After the break, Simons then flicked the ball sensitively into the Union goal from around 18 meters. It was the first gap in the Berlin defense.
Union reacted hectically and unhappily. Volland hit Simakan from behind with a sliding tackle. Referee Daniel Schlager pulled out the red card. Outnumbered, Union found no way to avert defeat. In the final quarter of an hour it was temporarily quiet in the stadium because of an emergency doctor’s call in the away block. Sesko made the decision with his first two Bundesliga goals.