Marvin Friedrich scored for the second game in a row to secure a fantastic three points against Borussia Dortmund at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
The defender headed in from a set-piece on 78 minutes to decide the game after another excellent display from Urs Fischer's team. The Köpenick club opened the scoring from a corner kick after 58 minutes when Grischa Prömel flicked on a corner from Christopher Trimmel, the ball finding its way through to Taiwo Awoniyi for an easy finish.
Youssoufa Moukoko became the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history with a remarkable strike, two minutes later. But Union's never-say-die attitude shone through and Friedrich headed in Cedric Teuchert's corner with 12 minutes to go to bag the last three points of the calendar year in Germany's top flight.
The fitness issues remained for coach Fischer in regards to his selection, but Union were able to bring back Marius Bülter to the starting XI. A week ago, the Köpenick club roared out of the traps when German champions Bayern Munich were the visitors to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. That high-tempo and aggression was on show against Borussia Dortmund, but the opening goal evaded Union. Awoniyi ran in behind to stretch the Dortmund defence, the Nigerian continued in on goal but Roman Bürki closed the angle and kept the score blank. The Swiss goalkeeper didn't need to make outstanding saves to keep the ball out but the Dortmund number one was pro-active and well-positioned to sniff out dangerous moments. On 17 minutes, Bürki blocked as Awoniyi was played in by Bülter after good pressing forced the visitors into a defensive error. Sheraldo Becker increased the pressure on Bürki's goal but the Dutch winger blazed over from about 20 yards out. Borussia Dortmund's first major attack in the final minute of the first half almost led the opening goal through the 16-year-old striker Moukoko. The teenager peeled away from the Union central defence and rattled the crossbar with a powerful shot from a tight angle.
Union returned for the final 45 minutes of 2020 in the Bundesliga with an unchanged side. While Dortmund put together more sequences of passes, it was Union who carried the threat. A two-on-two counterattack with Awoniyi and Teuchert almost the led the opener, but the on-loan Schalke attacking-midfielder was unable to thread in Becker who joined the attack later. On 58 minutes, Fischer's team celebrated the opening goal with a well-worked corner kick, taken by skipper Christopher Trimmel. The Austrian international whipped to the near-post, Grischa Prömel flicked towards the back-post and Awoniyi was there to prod in his first home goal for Union. If Awoniyi was sharp at one end of the pitch, Dortmund's precocious youngster Moukoko was equally dangerous. The striker pulled into the channel two minutes later and beat Luthe with an unstoppable shot to write his name into the record books. Keita Endo replaced Bülter on the wing and Julian Ryerson took Trimmel's place at full-back to give Union sets of fresh legs. It's been a taxing final week of the 2020 action for Union with Bayern Munich last Saturday, a midweek game in Stuttgart and 48 hours later, the Dortmund battle. Union's spirit and courage was on show as the team threw everything at Dortmund to make their lives difficult without the ball. On 78 minutes, there were scenes of jubilation on the Union bench as Friedrich headed home from a corner kick. With Trimmel off the field, Teuchert stepped up to take responsibility from the set-play and picked out the vice-captain with a terrific cross and Friedrich powered in his fourth of the season. As the legs tired, it was all hands on deck and Fischer called upon Niko Gießelmann and Akaki Gogia for the final five minutes. What Union were expecting like the last two matches was the proverbial kitchen sink onslaught from Edin Terzic's team, but it wasn't forthcoming and Andreas Luthe's goal remained untested in the final minutes of the match.
After Union's stunning Bundesliga finale for 2020, the Köpenick club will continue their 2020-21 DFB Pokal campaign at home on Tuesday night, December 22, against Steffen Baumgart's Paderborn.
Union Berlin go up against Borussia Dortmund
Match preview
1. FC Union Berlin's intense week of fixtures will close on Friday night (20:30) against Borussia Dortmund at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
Review
1. FC Union Berlin have remained unbeaten in the double-header against Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart. Urs Fischer's team led 2-0 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena with goals from Marvin Friedrich and Taiwo Awoniyi. But Pellegrino Mattarazzo's team bounced back in the second half with a brace for substitute striker Sasa Kalajdzic, including a last-minute volley, which was confirmed by the video referee in Köln.
Edin Terzic celebrated his first win in charge at Borussia Dortmund, winning 2-1 at Werder Bremen. Raphael Guierrero's opener was cancelled out by Kevin Mohwald, but Marco Reus netted in the second half to set up the new coach at BVB on a high ahead of the trip to Köpenick.
Opposition
Lucien Favre's 110-match tenure at the Westfalenstadion came to an end last week following Borussia Dortmund's 1-5 home defeat to VfB Stuttgart. Dortmund, fourth in the Bundesliga, are six points off the summit, which is currently occupied by Bayer Leverkusen. Frustratingly for Favre, Dortmund have been unable to take advantage of Bayern Munich's recent slip-ups in the Bundesliga. Before the heavy defeat to Stuttgart, Dortmund lost 1-2 at home to 1. FC Köln and went down to Bayern in November. On the road, Dortmund have suffered further defeats, including away to Augsburg.
Personnel
Urs Fischer listed those unavailable at the pre-match press conference on Thursday. Max Kruse, Joel Pohjanpalo, Nico Schlotterbeck, Anthony Ujah, Christian Gentner and Marcus Ingvartsen have injury issues and won't be available for selection. Robert Andrich will sit out one last match in his three-game suspension, while Florian Hübner is likely to be available to play some role.
Service
Friday's match will be held behind closed doors in accordance with the current restrictions in place in Berlin.
