Union Berlin defeat Holstein Kiel 2-0 on Matchday 7
Match report
Sebastian Polter marked his return from injury with a goal to fire 1. FC Union Berlin to a 2-0 win over Holstein Kiel at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
Urs Fischer's men left it late under the floodlights to protect their unbeaten start to the 2.Bundesliga campaign but it arrived in dramatic fashion. Polter netted Union's second with almost the last kick of the ball after Grischa Prömel had scored the all-important breakthrough goal in the 90th minute.
In the 2.Bundesliga, Union are the only team yet to experience defeat this season and also extend their run without defeat at home to 11 competitive matches.
The Stadion An der Alten Försterei was uncharacteristically lacking in atmosphere as fans across Germany protested against kick-off times with 20 minutes of silence. That seemed to filter on to the pitch with few very goalscoring situations for either team in the early periods. Holstein Kiel were dealt a blow after eight minutes when Matthias Honsak picked up an injury and was replaced by Kingsley Schindler. Union keeper Rafal Gikiewicz was alert to keep out South Korean midfielder Lee Jae-Sung and Janni Luca Serra before David Kinsombi shot wide from distance. The only clear chance for Fischer’s men came in the final minute before the interval. Christopher Trimmel’s free kick was flighted into a packed penalty box and Florian Hübner rose highest to force an excellent, reflex save from Kenneth Kronholm.
The hosts remained unchanged for the second phase and pushed for the opener in the early stages. Akaki Gogia came to life on 47 minutes, clipping the ball over van der Bergh but eventually thwarted by Kronholm. From the resulting loose ball, Hedlund smashed his finish wide of the target. Five minutes later, Prömel showed his attacking strengths with a cheeky nutmeg and good effort from 25 yards out.
Polter’s return to action — his first appearance since March — was the impulse for the Alte Försterei to roar the side on to victory. The 27-year-old made an instant impact and unsettled the Holstein Kiel defenders with his strength. Immediately after his introduction, he won a header at a corner kick and forced Kronholm into an easy save. With time slipping away, Union threw the kitchen sink at the Kiel box and got the break of the ball with Prömel showing composure to tuck the ball home. To cap off a superb return, Polter pulled off a wonderful overhead kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time to score his first of the campaign.
1. FC Union Berlin return to 2.Bundesliga action on Monday night (October 1) against FC Ingolstadt at the Audi-Sportpark.
Kiel head to Berlin for Tuesday clash at Union
Match preview
The league matches are coming thick and fast for 1. FC Union Berlin, with Holstein Kiel coming to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Tuesday September 25 at 18:30.
Review: The last outings for Union and Kiel
Urs Fischer's men missed out on their first away win of the season at Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday, but did preserve their unbeaten start to the league campaign. "The team put in a good performance and earned the point. Over the 90 minutes, it was open game with chances at both ends. I think both sides can live with just one point," said Fischer after the game in Bielefeld. Meanwhile, Holstein Kiel, last season's surprise package, managed a 2-2 draw at VfL Bochum and finished the sixth matchday of the campaign in ninth place.
Record: Union still unbeaten
1. FC Union Berlin are the only team in the 2.Bundesliga this season to go without losing a match so far. Union managed to keep away from defeat against Kiel last season, despite the northern Germans finishing the season in third place and securing a play-off spot for promotion. Both games were high-scoring contests with Union winning 4-3 at home and drawing 2-2 in Kiel. At the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, the Köpenick club have avoided defeat since January 2018 — a 1-0 loss to 1. FC Nürnberg.
The personnel: Still absentees, but no weekend knocks
There's no Marc Torrejon, Lennard Moser or Suleiman Abdullahi for Tuesday's game. Fabian Schönheim is progressing but not available. Sebastian Polter has come through team training in the last few weeks. "They've come through it. The players involved from the game against Arminia Bielefeld are ready," said the coach at the pre-match media briefing.
Tickets available, still changes to stadium plan
Tickets are available for the game on Tuesday night. Fans interested in securing their tickets can get them from various cashiers at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. There is standing room available in section 4 and seats available in section 1. There are more available for the away section. Similarly to the match at home to MSV Duisburg on Friday, there are some changes to the normal stadium plan for VIP guests.
