With luck, skill and great passion against Ajax Amsterdam, Union Berlin continued its fairytale season in the Europa League on Thursday evening (February 23, 2023) – and actually reached the round of 16.
The Irons won 3-1 (2-0) against the Dutch record champions. Union showed exactly this resilience that gave them the same point in the current Bundesliga table with leaders Bayern Munich – and even the “double” is still possible.
“We enjoy the moment”
“What you experience here is unbelievable”said Captain Rani Khedira afterwards. “We put our hearts on the pitch and deserved to win. We’re enjoying the moment. It’s extraordinary.”
Union coach Urs Fischer described the mood in the dressing room: “Very good and very exuberant – of course when you win a game like that. The team showed enormous will and great willingness and we were also very lucky. It’s just a great moment.”
Defender Robin Knoche added: “Of course we’re overjoyed. You can see that the team is developing bit by bit. It’s just fun at the moment.”
Bone scores from the penalty spot
Urs Fischer still doesn’t want to hear anything about any titles. But luck is now also a Berliner. The penalty kick for a 1-0 lead was technically correct after several minutes of VAR action. But Benjamin Knoche’s shot was almost parried by Ajax keeper Geronimo Rulli – before he hit the left corner (20′).
And Rulli remained a tragic figure that evening. Argentina’s number two, who signed Amsterdam for eight million euros in the winter, conceded the second goal shortly before the break with a huge mistake. Ajax had been pushing for an equalizer for a few minutes before a counterattack by Janik Haberer and Josip Juranovic brought relief. Almost out of embarrassment, Juranovic took a flat shot from 20 meters and didn’t even hit the ball – but Rulli missed and let the ball roll under his arms into the net.
Doekhi counters Kudus hits
The Amsterdam team came out of the dressing room with a lot of pressure and attacked Frederik Rönnow’s goal. They got what they deserved in the 47th minute: Steven Bergwijn put in a cross just in front of the Berlin goal, where Danilho Doekhi made a mistake and let the ball through. However, Rönnow stayed in his goal, so that Mohammed Kudus only had to put his foot down slightly to make it 1:2.
But what Union has become mentally for a top team, they proved three minutes later. Instead of being unsettled by the goal they conceded, they immediately went forward again. After a corner by Juranovic, Doekhi shot his way up the six-yard box with force and will and headed the ball in – this time Rulli couldn’t hold it – to make it 3-1 (50′).
Kudus misses big chance for Ajax
Then luck helped again. After a brilliant combination via Davy Klaassen and Dusan Tadic, Kudus practically had the empty goal in front of him, but wanted to make it too accurate and shot the ball just wide of the left post – Ajax coach Jonny Heitinga couldn’t catch it on the touchline.
In the period that followed, the Berliners made it much more skilful again, switched quickly after winning the ball and got one counterattack after the other. However, Jordan Siebatcheu and Sheraldo Becker acted either too imprecisely or too stubbornly to give Ajax the early knockout. Ultimately, however, that was no longer necessary because Knoche, Doekhi and Diogo Leite defended everything at the back.
Now showdown at Bayern
In the end, Ajax was so annoyed that the guests made one unsportsmanlike act after the other. Edson Alvarez received a yellow card in the 97th minute – but there should have been more personal penalties.
With this tailwind, the Irons are now going into the big Bundesliga showdown on Sunday (February 26, 2023) at 5:30 p.m. – and of course they can now do anything at Bayern Munich.