Late goal, red card, huge chance – Union Berlin won against VfL Wolfsburg after an emotional final phase and reached the quarter-finals in the cup.
Union won 2-1 (1-1) against Wolfsburg on Tuesday (01/31/2023). After VfB Stuttgart, the Berliners are the second team to have qualified for the quarter-finals. The next round will be drawn on February 19th, the other games in the round of 16 will continue until next week.
The goals for Union were scored by Robin Knoche (12th) and Kevin Behrens (79th). Luca Waldschmidt had given Wolfsburg the lead.
At Union, Isco’s transfer bursts before the game
Before the kick-off, the failed transfer of the Spanish player Isco was an issue at Union. The long-time Real Madrid professional and five-time Champions League winner had passed the medical check, but there were disagreements over the financial details at the end of the contract. “We have our limits. Contrary to the previous agreements, these were exceeded today, so the transfer will not take place.”explained Union’s managing director Oliver Ruhnert.
Wolfsburg starts better in the pouring rain
At the beginning of the game it was raining heavily at the old forester’s house. VfL Wolfsburg initially got along better with Luca Waldschmidt taking the quick lead. Yannick Gerhardt put the ball through to him, Waldschmidt made a thoughtful shot from nine meters.
But Union reacted quickly. Josip Juranović crossed from the right, and former Wolfsburg player Robin Knoche pushed the ball over the line from three meters (12′). Union kept getting better and almost took the lead, but Jordan Siebatcheu hit the crossbar with a header from a Knoche cross (27′).
Tough second half with a heated final phase
In the second half, the game, now freed from the rain, remained competitive, but poor in highlights. In the final phase, Union put pressure on, but played some promising counterattacks uncleanly. In the 79th, however, the Berliners scored the winning goal.
Juranović set up Rani Khedira on the right, whose cross Sheraldo Becker headed back into the middle at the far post for Kevin Behrens to slot in. Union made it difficult for themselves in the heated final phase: Niko Gießelmann, who had previously been warned, had to leave the field after a swallow with a yellow-red card. Jérôme Roussillon still had a great chance to make it 3-1 on a counterattack in the final seconds, but missed (90+4).
Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix is in a duel with Union’s Jordan Siebatcheu during the DFB Cup round of 16.
“It just works”
“It wasn’t a chance festival on either side“Said Wolfsburg’s captain Maximilian Arnold of the sports show. But with “a little more callousness” would have been more. Union’s Robin Knoche said: “At the moment it’s just going.”
Union against Mainz, Wolfsburg receives Bayern
Union Berlin continues in the Bundesliga on Saturday (4 February 2023, 3.30 p.m.) with a home game against 1. FSV Mainz 05. VfL Wolfsburg welcomes Bayern Munich on Sunday (5.30 p.m.).