Cup derby in Berlin: Union conquers Hertha’s homeland

1. FC Union rules Berlin. 60 days after the 2-0 derby victory in the Bundesliga on home ground, the Köpenickers also beat their neighbors Hertha BSC in the DFB Cup on Wednesday – and made it into the quarter-finals without exuberant brilliance, but with astonishing self-evidence. The triumph at the neighbor was not in question for 90 seconds. Because Suad Serdar’s goal to make it 1:2 (53 rd ) was acknowledged by Robin Knoche after a free kick cross from Bastian Oczipka with a volley to make it 3:1.

In the same city, the two clubs look at horizons that could not be more different: Hertha is in a relegation battle; Union can dream – as fifth in the table, from a place in the European Cup and from the cup final, which is being played in the Olympic Stadium, in Hertha’s home. Or: in a stadium that was recently Comanche territory for Union.

The Hertha team had reminded them of exactly that before the game. Hertha always won the two Bundesliga derbies that were held in the Westend, and the images flickered across the screens in the Olympic Stadium, which was bare due to the pandemic. But nothing that was seen on Wednesday aroused associations with the past. On the contrary.

1. FC Union Berlin is in its element

Because the Unioner only needed ten seconds to set the tone. Striker Andreas Voglsammer headed in a ball that had been hit from his own half, allowing Kruse to shoot from a tight angle and completely free. His bad luck: Hertha goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow was already awake – and deflected the shot past the right post to the corner. Ten minutes later, however, Schwolow was powerless when Union took the lead. Defender Dominque Heintz sent Kruse up the left flank so that Union director Voglsammer could serve – with a cross in the back of captain Dedryck Boyata. Voglsammer extended his right leg and hit the ball perfectly and artistically: it flew over Schwolow and into the goal to make it 1-0.

1. FC Union was in its element even before the goal, and that was all the more true afterwards. The way the Köpenickers contracted, didn’t even allow space to form and forced Hertha to always play the ball back was only moderately useful for a spectacle, but effective. Essentially, Hertha only got a chance to score in the second minute of injury time in the first half, when the ball rumbled into the six-yard box and Suat Serdar pocketed it. But he was just as offside as Voglsammer before – which meant that referee Deniz Aytekin took back a hand penalty, destroying the chance of a possible 1:1.

After the break, Hertha lifted her head. Vladimir Darida was cleared by Ishak Belfodil but shot the ball over the goal. Union, for their part, found a precise answer: Kruse released Levin Öztunali on the right, and his cross shot Hertha defender Niklas Stark into his own goal when he felt Voglsammer’s breath on his neck, ready to score. Serdar shortened to 1:2, which was followed by Knoche’s reply. Hertha showed heart. But Serdar’s 2:3 in the 95th minute from close range was too late.

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