MAINZ: Union Berlin have cut Bayern Munich’s lead on top of the table to three points after a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Bremen on Wednesday.
Werder scored after 13 minutes through Amos Pieper but the defender turned villan just four minutes later when his poor back pass found Kevin Behrens, who fed Janik Haberer for the equaliser.
“It was like being between heaven and hell” Pieper told reporters after the match, “it’s my clear fault.”
Union thought they had taken the lead minutes later, but Sheraldo Becker’s strike was ruled out for a handball by Behrens in the build-up.
Behrens was involved again in the first minute of the second half, heading in a corner while unmarked to give Union a valuable lead in their quest for a first ever Champions League berth.Union took advantage of a 1-1 draw between Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, both of whom could have joined the Berliners in equal second with a win.
Frankfurt’s France striker Randal Kolo Muani scored just before halftime for a 1-0 lead, but Freiburg local boy Matthias Ginter equalised for the home side two minutes after halftime.
Also on Wednesday night, Bayer Leverkusen won their fifth-straight Bundesliga game, beating Bochum at home ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster clash against Dortmund.
Leverkusen took the lead early through an eighth-minute penalty to Edmond Tapsoba. A second-half goal by Czech striker Adam Hlozek, set up by teenage midfielder Florian Wirtz saw the home side claim all three points.
Elsewhere, Augsburg lifted themselves out of the relegation playoff places with a narrow 1-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Earlier on Wednesday, American striker Gio Reyna scored a last-gasp winner in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 victory over Mainz, securing the three points deep into injury-time.
Reyna tapped in a header with a minute of injury time remaining, sinking a dogged Mainz.
Manager Edin Terzic promised on Tuesday to fix the side’s leaky defence, but Dortmund got off to the worst possible start when Lee Jae-Sung gave Mainz the lead in just the second minute.
Jae-Sung leapt past winter arrival Julian Ryerson to head in a corner from Edimilson Fernandes, giving the home side their early lead.
Ryerson quickly made up for his error, equalising just two minutes later with a deflected long-range effort.
Terzic made a triple change after 61 minutes, bringing on wingers Reyna and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens alongside returning striker Sebastien Haller.
With the match looking to be petering out into a draw, Reyna pounced on Haller’s assist, sending the ball past Mainz goalie Finn Dahmen and into the back of the net.
Reyna’s goal lift Dortmund, who face Chelsea in the Champions League Round of 16 next month, up to fifth on 31 points along with Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, five off leaders Bayern Munich.
Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2023
