Before the game, the manager of 1. FC Union was still in good spirits. His team only needs one win to secure at least sixth place, emphasized Oliver Ruhnert on the Sky microphone with a big smile. A few hours later, sixth place was not quite as hoped, and the mood was correspondingly gloomy.
Basically, nothing has changed for Union with the 0-1 defeat in Augsburg. The Köpenickers still have it in their own hands to reach the Champions League, especially in the upcoming home game against their direct competitor from Freiburg. In addition, something almost unbelievable will have to happen in the last three games for the club to miss the stated goal of qualifying for international competition.
There is still reason to ponder, and not just because Union missed a huge opportunity on Saturday to get a little closer to the Champions League. On Saturday there were also indications that an old problem was reappearing at an inopportune time. Union has not been able to win for weeks if the Berliners concede a goal to make it 0-1.
You could tell that the team was a bit unsettled.
Coach Urs Fischer about the reaction to the goal in Augsburg
Especially last fall, this was considered a weakness of Fischer’s team. However, the team shook off this flaw in the winter when they celebrated big victories against Borussia Mönchengladbach, RB Leipzig or Hoffenheim after falling behind. But now the spook has returned. Since February, Union have fallen behind in six of 16 games and failed to win any of them.
The reasons are obvious. Ultimately, Union’s strength lies in defensive compactness and effective counterattacks. If an opponent – especially one as efficient as FC Augsburg – is allowed to defend a lead, it doesn’t exactly play into the hands of the Köpenickers. As Fischer admitted after the game on Saturday, his team reacted too late to this challenge. “You could tell that the team was a bit unsettled,” he said. She would have put more pressure on in the last 20 minutes, but time was running out.
If Union had used their chances in the first half and scored the first goal themselves, the game in Augsburg would probably have ended differently. The pressure is now all the greater to get the game off to a good start against Freiburg. Because the first goal could not only decide the game, but also the race for the Champions League places.
