Union Berlin draw 1-1 away at Jahn Regensburg
Away draw:
1. FC Union Berlin continued their unbeaten record in the league with a 1-1 draw at Jahn Regensburg at the Continental-Arena.
Sebastian Polter and Jann George scored in the final 60 seconds of the first half to share the spoils. Grischa Prömel was sent off in the second half after collecting two yellow cards.
The point in Regensburg is Union's fourth consecutive tie in the 2.Bundesliga after draws against Heidenheim, Paderborn and Dynamo Dresden.
Jahn Regensburg: Pentke; Saller, Sorensen, Correia, Föhrenbach; Geipl (Al Ghaddioui 89), Fein (Lais 71); Stolze (Derstroff 86), George; Grüttner, Adamyan
Union Berlin: Gikiewicz; Ryerson, Friedrich, Hübner, Reichel; Prömel, Schmiedebach, Zulj (Andersson 64); Gogia (Hartel 63), Polter (Parensen 82), Mees
Wednesday's strenuous exertions in Dortmund understandably encouraged head coach Urs Fischer towards squad rotation with the Köpenick club making five changes from the extra-time DFB Pokal defeat. Sebastian Polter, Joshua Mees and Akaki Gogia led from the front, while Ken Reichel was restored at left full-back. Norwegian U21 international Julian Ryerson made his first league start for Union Berlin since his arrival from Viking Stavanger in the summer. Sebastian Andersson, Marcel Hartel, Kenny Prince Redondo, Christopher Lenz and Christopher Trimmel dropped out.
The first 45 minutes were intensive without a lot of quality in the final third to show for it. Regensburg looked to start on the front foot after scoring three goals in Bochum last weekend. Union Berlin, with the strongest defence in the 2.Bundesliga, looked organised and compact, with Marvin Friedrich wearing the captain's armband at the heart of the back-four. Robert Zulj shot over the crossbar in the 19th minute, the best attacking passage for Union of the game so far.
However, referee Sascha Stegemann gave the home side a golden chance to lead when Sargis Adamyan went down under pressure from Reichel. Rafal Gikiewicz was equal to the penalty kick from Sebastian Stolze to keep the scores level on the half-hour mark. As the half drew to a close, Prömel's surging run into the box opened up the space for Polter to tap home the opening goal. Union Berlin's lead was short lived in stoppage time of the first half, with George curling a right-foot shot into the top corner to bring the scores level at the interval.
The pattern of the first continued into the second period with Regensburg starting on top. Gikiewicz was strong to block the path of goalscorer George when the home side's forward ran through on the Union goal. Fischer introduced Hartel and Andersson at the turn of the hour point and Union looked a more dangerous proposition in attack with two conventional strikers up front. Indeed, on 71 minutes, a great run and cross from Ryerson was met by Polter whose header was kept out by an outstanding stop from Regensburg keeper Philipp Pentke.
Union looked more likely to get the second goal, but Stegemann showed a second yellow card to Prömel on 77 minutes after an aerial challenge in the middle of the park. Even with the inferior numbers, Union still carved out the game-changing chance at the end — Reichel turning the ball home after a good move involving Hartel and Mees. But after long deliberation the referee and his assistant decided to call for offside and leave the Berliners hanging on with just a point to take back to the capital.
