1. FC Union Berlin lost to Holstein Kiel 1-2 at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in their final friendly before their training camp begins. In a match consisting of four 30-minute quarters, Kiel scored twice, once from a Juranovic own goal and again from a strike by Arp. Union's only goal came from a Sheraldo Becker penalty.

1. FC Union Berlin: Rönnow (61. Busk) – Juranovic (61. Trimmel), Jaeckel (91. Doekhi), Knoche (91. Kemlein), Leite (61. Heintz), Roussillon (61. Skarke) – Aaronson (61. Laïdouni), Khedira (61. Král, 91. Thorsby), Tousart (61. Haberer) – Behrens (61. Becker), Fofana (61. Siebatcheu)

Holstein Kiel: Dähne - Sterner (91. Niehoff), Johansson (91. Rosenboom), Erras (61. Schulz), Kleine-Bekel (91. Komenda), Rothe (91. Wagbe) – Ivezic (61. Holtby), Sander (91. Arp), Simakala (77. Remberg) – Machino (91. Mees), Pichler (77. Porath)

Attendance: 13.014

Goals: 0-1 Juranovic (own goal, 8.), 0-2 Arp (95.), 1-2 Becker (penalty, 111.)

Kiel with the early lead - Union with control

1. FC Union Berlin started in their usual 3-5-2 formation, with Holstein Kiel choosing the same route. The Union players also wore the new main sponsor for the first time, Paramount Plus, on the frontside of their jersey. The 2. Bundesliga begins next week, making this Kiel’s final friendly before they kick off their season against Eintracht Braunschweig.

Kiel was off to a fast start, and three minutes in posed their first danger on the Union goal. From a free kick delivered into the box, Pichler headed the cross narrowly over the left side of the woodwork. However, Kiel’s early lead came from a Union mistake, not their own aggression. Juranovic played a simple back pass to Rönnow, who was caught in the turf, leading to the ball rolling into the empty net (8). Following the early goal Union managed to take control of the match, though no cross or combination led to the needed finish.

The second quarter was slightly delayed due to an injured referee, who’s replacement was a fan in the crowd. After the break Union continued to control the flow, though were unable to find a breakthrough in the Kiel defense. The guests did not pose any threat on the attack, largely due to the strong defense of the Eisernen. The first excitement of the quarter came from a Union corner that Knoche was able to get on the end of. Knoche headered the ball to Behrens, who’s shot was blocked just before crossing the goal line. Union’s second opportunity came from a move down the left side initiated by Fofana, who managed to pass the ball through to Khedira. Khedira, who found himself near the center of the box, was unable to turn fully towards goal, and so his shot went wide. With no further drama, the first 60 minutes ended in a 0-1 lead for Kiel.

Union mount the pressure – Both sides get one

Apart from Jaeckel and Knoch, coach Urs Fischer made substitutions at every position. The newcomers added an immediate boost, Siebatcheu and Král firing long-range shots in the opening minutes. Next, Laïdouni put himself in a promising position with an individual dribble and finish, but his final strike went left of the post. The hosts pressed on, the following shot coming from Skarke, who’s finish went just wide of the opposite corner. In the 83rd minute, Skarke again found himself in the center of the action, running down a diagonal ball on the left side of the pitch and then crossing to Siebatcheu. Though he managed to get his head on it, the attempt went well over the bar.

Despite Union having been the attacking side all game, it’s Kiel who striked once again. Arp received a low cross from the right and directed it into the left side of the goal to increase the guest’s lead to 2-0. Union did not give in, continuing to try and find a way to get one back. A Heintz header from a Trimmel free kick was almost the answer. Instead, it was a foul on Haberer leading to a Becker penalty that gave Union their first goal of the match (111). The equalizer seemed around the corner, first a deflected strike from Skarke going of the crossbar and then a last-second header from Haberer hitting the post. The belief of the fans and the will of the Union players was not enough, and Kiel managed to take home a 2-1 victory over the home side.

Thoughts on the match

"You could see a few schemes today and we had a few chances in the second 60 minutes, so we have to build on that in training camp. You could see that Kiel is already a step further, for them it was the dress rehearsal today. They were just a bit more aggressive in the duels," explained Janik Haberer after the friendly.

"We had a few chances, but unfortunately hit the woodwork three times and ultimately lost. We just have to keep working now and look forwards," said sole Union goal scorer Sheraldo Becker, looking ahead to the next few weeks.

Outlook for the coming week

Monday, 24.07.2023, 1. FC Union Berlin travels to their annual ten-day training camp in Bramberg am Wildkogel. During their time at training camp Union will play to more friendlies in preparation for the season. More information on the opponents, venues, and tickets will be available in the coming days.