The Bundesliga returned to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei behind closed doors on Sunday, but 1. FC Union Berlin couldn't take the scalp of champions Bayern Munich who ran out 2-0 winners.
Urs Fischer's squad have beaten Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach on home soil this season in the club's first top-flight campaign. However, the absence of supporters as the league returned to action following the COVID-19 shutdown removed an important advantage for the newly-promoted side.
Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty kick after 40 minutes to give the Bavarians the lead and Benjamin Pavard ended the match as a contest with 12 minutes to go from a corner kick.
After a few days of personal leave following the passing of his father-in-law, coach Urs Fischer was unable to be present at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. The main responsibilities were assumed by assistant Markus Hoffmann who holds the requisite licence for the Bundesliga. He has been assisted in training this week by Sebastian Bönig. Marvin Friedrich missed out due to suspension and he was replaced by Florian Hübner in central defence. Grischa Prömel, who signed a new contract this week, was given the nod, while Anthony Ujah took Sebastian Andersson's starting place in attack.
Union's start to the game was expected – far from perfect given the nine-week break due to the outbreak of COVID-19 but excellent organisation off-the-ball and 100% commitment. After five minutes, Prömel powered diagonally from the sideline into the Bayern box, cutting back for Marius Bülter but the shot was straight at the towering frame of Manuel Neuer. Shortly after, Hübner bypassed midfield with a tidy ball into Ujah, the Nigerian striker twisting clear but shooting off target. Given the standard of opposition, Union's caution without the ball was understandable. Even the slightest wrong decision or drop in concentration could give Bayern an opportunity. On 17 minutes, Joshua Kimmich's corner was bundled in by Thomas Müller after Serge Gnabry's knock down. However, referee Bastian Dankert consulted by with the video officials in Cologne and Union's defensive record was kept intact. Union took note of the wake-up call and faired much better beyond the half-hour point. But Bayern's opener saw the Köpenick club take their foot of the gas with Neven Subotic bringing down Leon Goretzka inside the box. Lewandowski scored his 25th goal in 24 Bundesliga matches from 12 yards to give the league leaders an advantage going into the interval.
Union returned with the same XI from the first half, but it took a while for the Köpenick side to get going. Goretzka came within inches of the second goal on 49 minutes before Gikiewicz kept out Gnabry from close range. Prömel's shot on 55 minutes was a rare moment of relief for Union as the reigning champions found the touch and slickness which sees them at the summit of the league. Hoffmann turned to his substitutes in the main stand on 70 minutes with Andersson getting his chance to shine and Christian Gentner taking Robert Andrich's place in the middle of the park. Both players have been pivotal to Union's success this season, but training time has been limited during the shutdown. Gentner looked to make something happen straight away, but he couldn't divert one of his two efforts on goal towards Neuer's target. Though Bayern enjoyed their dominance, Gikiewicz was kept relatively untested from quality scoring situations. A frustrating point for Union will be a second 'goal' lost to a set-piece situation: Kimmich's delivery was powered in by Pavard with about 10 minutes to play. Joshua Mees, Julian Ryerson and Felix Kroos rounded off Union's five substitute options after the rule change by the German FA during the break. Kroos' shot forced Neuer into a late save, but Hansi Flick's men ran out comfortable winners in their first visit to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in the Bundesliga.
This week's turnaround is short and snappy with attention turning quickly to Friday's 19:30 clash with Hertha Berlin at the Olympic Stadium to open the 27th Bundesliga matchday.
Union host reigning champions Bayern Munich
Match preview
Barely nine weeks after 1. FC Union Berlin's last Bundesliga match in Freiburg, the club from Köpenick will get underway once again. Tomorrow, Union welcome 29-time German champions Bayern Munich to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
The visit of the Bavarians would have been a sold-out festival of football in our first Bundesliga campaign, but there will be stringent restrictions in place in accordance with the DFL's hygiene strategy – just 300 people in total will be in attendance.
"For all those who are present, there is a strict code of conduct and very specific conditions for their work. There will be no flags on the fences or stadium announcements. Not having to play in the stadium without spectators is a very extraordinary and also painful situation for us. We will not use any technical means to suggest a normality which doesn't exist," said Christian Arbeit, Director for Media and Communications at 1. FC Union Berlin. "We thank you for your understanding and support from all over. We are in good contact with our fans and don't expect crowds to gather in front of the ground. The area is closed off already for a while anyway, so this won't be possible."
Union without head coach Fischer
Preparations at the training camp in Barsinghausen, near Hannover, went on as normal ahead of the first Bundesliga match in nine weeks. However, Markus Hoffmann and Sebastian Bönig have this week taken control as Urs Fischer left for Switzerland for personal reasons. A bereavement in the family means he will not be taking charge of the first-team.
"At the moment, football is certainly not a priority for Urs, that's understandable. But we are in daily exchanges and have a video session with the entire staff every evening," explained assistant coach Markus Hoffmann at the pre-match press conference on Saturday. However, during the 90 minutes, there will be no contact.
"I don't think the surrounding conditions will impact Bayern much," Hoffmann added. "This team is incredibly experienced, so we don't need to discuss the quality of the team. They are a very good team and that's hardly surprising. We have to concentrate on our own performance and not worry about our opponents. We're going to put everything we've got into it to make the best game possible."
Marvin Friedrich, a stalwart in central defence, is missing through suspension. Hoffmann confirmed he would pick the final matchday squad tomorrow when all tests for COVID-19 were provided.
A number of rule changes are in place this weekend for substitutes. There will be no normal bench with all subs taking a place in the main stand to maintain the necessary social distancing. The German FA have increased the number of substitutions available from three to five. More players as a result will be available and this is to minimise risk of injury.
While the coaching staff have dealt with unique circumstances and conditions, Hoffmann is simply looking forward to getting back to business. "Football is based off rules. In this scenario, there's just a few more. Now it's time to deal with them. We've decided that we want to play, so now we've got to focus on our own strengths and deal with the situation as best as we can."
