Taiwo Awoniyi and Sheraldo Becker scored the goals in the second half to extend 1. FC Union Berlin's unbeaten run at home with a 2-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg.
Union held out a competitive first half at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei with Awoniyi capping off a great week following his national team debut for Nigeria with the opener on 48 minutes.
Substitute Sheraldo Becker made the three points safe on 84 minutes with a header which narrowly creeped over the line.
The 2-1 turnaround at Mainz before the international break convinced coach Urs Fischer to start with the same XI who came out victorious last time out. Union's home form in the Bundesliga has been strong with two wins and two draws - an unbeaten run stretching back until the first game of the previous campaign. Julian Ryerson headed over after six minutes from a cross as the Köpenick club laid down a marker of intent. Meanwhile, the visitors from Wolfsburg were quick to adapt to the Union pressure and nearly scored themselves after 11 minutes. German U21 international Lukas Nmecha headed on target from close range but Robin Knoche was in the right place to hook the ball clear of the goal against his former club. Wolfsburg took more control towards the end of the half with the best chances falling the way of Mark van Bommel's team. Maximilian Philipp dragged a shot wide on 23 minutes as the team in green pushed enough men ahead of the ball to cause problems for Union. Two minutes later, Wolfsburg went from defence-to-attack on the break. Nmecha whipped the ball across the face of goal but Lukebakio hit the post from around two yards out. It was another serious let off for the home side who dealt with defensive situations better thereafter. Philipp ambitiously looked to lob Luthe on 37 minutes but the effort went wide. Despite Wout Weghorst's omission from the starting XI, the visitors could rely on attacking options from midfield. Joshua Guilavogui stepped out of midfield on 42 minutes to test the Union rearguard but his shot went a few metres of the target. Union hadn't penetrated the Wolfsburg backline for most of the half and despite that, there were still glimpses of hope. Max Kruse's dangerous cross, hit with whip and pace, caused all sorts of problems for the Wolfsburg defenders but Roussillon was well-positioned to clear at the far post before the half was out.
Fischer's side took three minutes after Sascha Steegemann restarted the match to break through the Wolfsburg defence. A lovely counter-attack was mastered by Genki Haraguchi who played in Awoniyi and the Super Eagles striker finished off past Koan Casteels. The away side, who are playing Champions League football this term, had their opportunities to level the game through the second half. Roussillon hit wide on 53 minutes from distance before Wout Weghorst came off the bench to give Wolfsburg a new dimension in attack. The Dutchman nearly scored with his first touch of the ball but a combination of Andreas Luthe and Knoche kept the marksmen at bay. On 81 minutes, Weghorst may feel he could have levelled, heading unmarked straight at Luthe from the middle of the penalty box. With three goals in four appearances against the club from Köpenick, these are opportunities the 29-year-old doesn't often pass up. But despite the pressure from the opposition, Union held firm and showed their character to bounce back again. Substitute Andreas Voglsammer clipped in the cross on 84 minutes and Becker was right at the far stick to head over the line. Goalkeeper Casteels almost managed to keep Becker's header out but this time goalline technology confirmed the ball was in. After coming off the bench for Max Kruse, Becker forced his impact on the game and almost clinched a third goal for Union. Sub Kevin Behrens linked superbly with the Dutchman who sprinted clear of the Wolfsburg defence, but Casteels was out quick to deny him a second. With Wolfsburg holding out until now, Union are able to strike another Bundesliga team off the list of teams defeated in the club's history.
Union take on Wolfsburg in Bundesliga
Match preview
1. FC Union Berlin will take on Wolfsburg at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei at 15:30 CEST on Saturday as Urs Fischer's side look to beat the Wolves for the first time in the Bundesliga.
Review:
1. FC Union Berlin followed up on the Maccabi Haifa with an impressive second-half display at Mainz last time out in the Bundesliga. Urs Fischer's side ended the run of league fixtures before the international break with a 2-1 win at the Carnival Club. Union's loanee at Mainz, Marcus Ingvartsen, scored after half an hour as the Köpenick club struggled to get to grips with Bo Svensson's side. The three points were decided on four second half minutes with Taiwo Awoniyi bagging a brace to send Union back to the capital with the points. On 69 minutes, Max Kruse's telling pass found the Nigerian who held off his marker and fired into the net. Kevin Behrens linked with his strike partner on 73 minutes from a similar situation as the Nigerian, who would receive a call-up to the national team a day later, fired into the net.
Wolfsburg: Opposition Report
With 13 points and three off the top, Wolfsburg have shown their credibility as one of the strongest teams in the Bundesliga under Oliver Glasner. The Austrian has his teams playing solid and consistently in both the Bundesliga and group stages of the UEFA Champions League. But before the Bundesliga paused for a week, Wolfsburg lost in back-to-back matches for the first time since April. Wolfsburg were beaten at Hoffenheim before Borussia Mönchengladbach ran out comfortable winners at the Volkswagen Arena. That said, Wolfsburg will be delighted with their start to the season which gives them a serious shout at European qualification once again.
Wolfsburg: The coach's view
"Wolfsburg got off to a very good start. I also think they will compete at the top this season. VfL Wolfsburg has players who can decide games and are very robust physically at the same time. It's a great task for us! I hope we will show our face and that we are willing to extend our winning run at home," said Urs Fischer in the pre-match press conference.
Personnel
Urs Fischer gave a positive update on central defender Timo Baumgartl who has missed two weeks of training as he recovers from concussion. Baumgartl has trained well this week and is integrated with the team following his time out of action. Pawel Wszolek picked up a knock in the friendly defeat to St. Gallen but is training once again individually.
