Union Berlin bring back a point from Paderborn
Ingvartsen strikes:
Marcus Ingvartsen scored as 1. FC Union Berlin were held to a 1-1 draw in Paderborn.
The 23-year-old Dane brought his good performances of late to the Benteler-Arena and he struck early on for Urs Fischer's team — his third league goal of the campaign. Paderborn equalised through Kai Pröger after 33 minutes and there was no further change to the scoreline as the two clubs shared the spoils following an even second 45 minutes.
Paderborn: Zingerle; Jans, Killian, Schonlau, Collins; Pröger (Holtmann 74), Vasiliadis, Gjasula, Antwi-Adjei; Mamba (Michel 68), Zolinski (Cauly 85)
1. FC Union Berlin: Gikiewicz; Friedrich, Hübner, Parensen; Lenz, Trimmel, Andrich, Gentner; Ingvartsen (Becker 76), Andersson (Ujah 88), Bülter (Mees 67)
Urs Fischer made the single change to his team from the 2-0 win over 1. FC Köln last weekend — Marius Bülter returned to the team in place of Sebastian Polter. Union and Paderborn were both promoted from the 2.Bundesliga last season, but the Köpenick side looked head and shoulders above their opponents in the early exchanges. In the seventh minute, the ball ran loose of Christopher Lenz and came to the feet of Ingvartsen, the Danish under-21 international taking the shot on the turn and finding the top left-hand corner of the goal. The one-way traffic at the Benteler-Arena continued as the away team looked for a second. On 11 minutes, Christian Gentner found space with a clever run behind the Paderborn defence, but the former Stuttgart midfielder of 17 years was denied by Leo Zingerle. Robert Andrich volleyed wide in the 17th minute before Jamilu Collins cleared Bülter’s shot off the line three minutes later. Sebastian Schonlau diverted a cross from Gentner narrowly wide of his goal but the clinical edge was missing as Steffen Baumgart’s team equalised a short while later. On 33 minutes, Kai Pröger timed his run from the back-post and finished off from close range to level the scores.
Bülter and Sebastian Andersson combined well at the beginning of the second half but the shot was cleared in the end. With 1,500 away supporters, the Köpenick club looked strong defensively under pressure from Paderborn's quick attacking players. A great chance fell to Ingvartsen and Bülter on 64 minutes — the two positioned themselves in space in the box to receive the cross from Christopher Trimmel but neither could finish off. Joshua Mees replaced Bülter with 23 minutes to play and Sheraldo Becker was asked to bring some speed to proceedings in the last quarter of an hour. The key moment in the second half arrived with seven minutes to go as Union tried to find the winning goal. Lenz's cross from deep was knocked down by Michael Parensen to Florian Hübner but the central defender watched on as his finish came back off the post.
Union will close the 2019 action in the coming week with the final home match on Tuesday night against Hoffenheim at 20:30. Fischer’s men conclude the first half of the Bundesliga season away at Fortuna Düsseldorf on Sunday December 22 at 15:30.
