Union Berlin were defeated 2-1 at the Ruhrstadion in Bochum to continue a disappointing run of three games without a win.

The Köpenick club couldn’t have wished for a better start in Bochum, taking the lead after just four minutes. Toni Leistner’s brilliant through ball sent Sebastian Polter through on goal and the club’s top scorer made no mistake in front of goal. In the 12^th minute, Hedlund was presented with a chance in the same area of the box, but Danilo recovered well to keep the Swede out.

Quality play was limited in the first period in difficult conditions. The Ruhrstadion pitch cut up fast in the rain and neither side was able to piece together a solid passage of football. That was almost reflected in the scrappiness of Bochum’s equaliser, five minutes before the break, when Kevin Stöger’s strike took a wicked deflection to beat Jakob Busk.

Both teams returned after the break without making any chances, but the home side looked the most dangerous. Bochum didn’t quite launch an assault on Busk’s goal, although the warning signs were there. With three minutes left, Lukas Hinterseer turned in the box and scored the winner to the despair of the travelling supporters from Berlin.

“Congratulations to Bochum on their victory,” said Keller after the match. “We started well, took the lead early and had another similar chance to score. Afterwards, we lacked the courage to dominate the second balls. Bochum pressed well and we couldn’t solve those problems. We should be leaving with 1-1, but it wasn’t enough. We made too many mistakes and lost easy goals, which we need to stop as soon as possible.”

Two home games before the end of 2017 presents the perfect opportunity to get back on track in the league. Next Saturday at 13:00 local time, eastern rivals Dynamo Dresden are the visitors to a sold-out Stadion An der Alten Försterei.