From BZ/dpa
Kevin Behrens spent most of his career outside of the Bundesliga. With his three-pack against Mainz, the Union striker shows rare nine qualities – and then cycles home.
As the name Hansi Flick fell, switched Union Berlin’s header giant Kevin Behrens quickly from party to professional mode. Now just don’t say a wrong word, don’t say a wrong tongue movement. Rather a statement in the usual Larifari speech of a footballer. “I’m absolutely not concerned with that at all,” said the center forward about a possible perspective in the national team at the old footballer age of 32.
“I’m trying to do my best here, to keep pushing, to score goals, to keep having fun. That’s my approach. You’ll see what happens next, or maybe not,” said Behrens after his historic hat-trick in the 4-1 win over FSV Mainz 05 at the start of the Bundesliga. No striker has ever scored three headed goals in a game since modern data collection.
Kevin Behrens wins the header duel against Danny da Costa from Mainz and makes it 2-0 Photo: City Press
Goal, goal, goal, Behrens, Behrens, Behrens was the motto in the stadium at the old forester’s office. Of course, not everyone who scores three goals has to become a national player, but there aren’t many beefy center forwards in German football who fulfill the national longing for the classic number 9. So it’s a good thing that Flick is more or less expected to be inspected in East Berlin after the transfers of Robin Gosens and Kevin Volland.
Parallels to filling jug
Behrens’ career is also reminiscent of that of DFB striker Niclas Füllkrug. The blond boy from (Warning: Bremen!) spent his potential best years in the lowlands of the second and third leagues – like Werder striker Füllkrug.
The best years are now for Behrens. They actually only started very slowly after the move from SV Sandhausen to Union Berlin in 2021 and a significant boost in performance under coach Urs Fischer. He is a prime example of a transfer from Union manager Oliver Ruhnert. Already fell through the cracks elsewhere, but developed to new strengths in Berlin-Köpenick.
First six goals of the season, then ten and now the hat-trick right at the start of the season. At the Champions League club Union Berlin, Behrens currently has the status of goal guarantor in an oversupply of offensive players. Max Kruse, Taiwo Awoniyi and maybe soon Sheraldo Becker are history at Union. Behrens is the Tore present.
Beefy as a filling jug, Behrens creates space for himself, is often correct, other visual parallels are not important at all. His hair is more accurately parted and gelled. The teeth look more like Jürgen Klopp’s in brilliant white, there is no filling jug gap there.
And yet Behrens has this special mixture of football wisdom that makes you relaxed. The fact that he rode his bike home after his three-pack and not the sports car, as Union documented on Platform X, rounded off the evening atmospherically.