10-man Union go third despite Bochum stalemate

Union took the lead late in the first half thanks to a Josip Juranovic free-kick, but Bochum's Kevin Stoeger equalised from the spot early in the second.

Union were reduced to 10 men shortly after the penalty but were the more dangerous side in the closing stages, forward Kevin Behrens going agonisingly close to a winner with five minutes remaining.

Despite dropping points, Union leapfrogged RB Leipzig who won 3-2 at home against Augsburg on Saturday to move back to third. Free-kick specialists Union opened the scoring in typical fashion in first-half injury time.

Croatia international Juranovic hit a perfectly weighted free kick between a gap in the wall and past 'keeper Manu Riemann, his fourth goal since arriving from Celtic in January.

Bochum grabbed control of the fixture in a ten-minute period early in the second half, starting with a seemingly harmless tactical yellow card for Union's Paul Jaeckel after 50 minutes.

Union's Aissa Laidouni swept Ivan Ordets' legs out from under him in the penalty box shortly after, with Stoeger blasting the equaliser straight down the middle from the spot.

Five minutes later, Jaeckel picked up a second yellow for a foul on Patrick Osterhage, reducing the home side to ten men. Union's Behrens' had a 64th-minute goal chalked off for offside.

The big forward had another golden chance with five minutes to go when Sheraldo Becker found him unmarked in front of goal, but he headed just wide. Bochum, who have claimed eight points from their past five matches, go three points clear of the relegation places with the draw.

 

April 16, 2023

'Big points' for Freiburg

Earlier on Sunday, second-half goals from Roland Sallai and Lucas Hoeler lifted Freiburg to a 2-1 comeback win at Werder Bremen.

Trailing 1-0 after former Freiburg striker Maximilian Philipp gave Bremen the lead a minute into the second half, Freiburg scored two goals in quick succession to turn the game on its head. The win took Freiburg to fifth, one point behind RB Leipzig.

"These are absolute big points for us, we're making up ground" said Freiburg midfielder Maximilian Eggestein, who spent a decade at Bremen.

Freiburg defender and 2014 World Cup winner Matthias Ginter toasted the "comeback" victory, saying "it's very tight up the top - it's a real slugfest."

After a cagey opening half with few chances on each side, former Freiburg striker Philipp opened the scoring one minute into the second half. Assisted by Leonardo Bittencourt after a length-of-the-field counter, Philipp tapped in for his first goal in Bremen colours.

Freiburg equalised soon after, Sallai collecting a pass from Hoeler and blasting in from long range. Four minutes later, Hoeler got on the board himself, glancing a header past Jiri Pavlenka to give the visitors the lead.

Freiburg's first win in four league matches keeps the side in the hunt for a maiden Champions League berth. In Sunday's final game, Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen head to Wolfsburg chasing a sixth-straight league win.

 

April 16, 2023