Match Report: Wolfsburg (H)

Pre-match

The Baumgart revolution continues. After two away wins against would-be Europe-chasers and a massive, snarling point against Bayern last time out at home, we came into this one with some optimism. Today's visitors were Wolfsburg, fresh from the factory floor into the cauldron of the Alte Försterei.

A 17.30 Sunday kickoff made for an odd contrast - Unioner the only signs of life on the otherwise empty streets and trains before the game. The scheduling gods had smiled on me for this one; today was half marathon day in Berlin and the late kickoff meant I was able to run it, get home, cry, and get to Köpenick in time for kick off.

Seasoned runners may note that standing up and drinking beer for several hours right after such an event is not the ideal cool down, and I'm here to tell you that they are absolutely right. A good UBI crowd were already in by the time I hobbled into the stands, pathetically grateful to have a rail to lean on.

Despite the weather forecast insisting it was 8 degrees, the sun was absolutely beating down before kick off.

Jeong is unfortunately out for the season after his injury last week, but the boss opted for a more compact midfield of Schäfer, Haberer and Khedira rather than replacing him like for like.

First Half

Wolfsburg made us wait for kick off, making the teams swap ends so Union were playing into the sun. If it was designed as a cunning ploy, it didn't work because no sooner had we kicked off than Union were on the attack. Hollerbach looked like he was going to have some fun tormenting the full back, while Ilic was immediately full of nice touches and layoffs.

We won a corner within the first minute, the visiting defence all over the place. I assume Juranovic whipped it in - my view was particularly poor today so about 70% of the pitch was a mystery to me - and Querfeld leapt to crash a header off the post.

In the scramble that followed we looked certain to score, but the ball somehow ballooned up and over, Khedira staying down hurt.

He carried on and so did we, hunting them down as soon as they went near halfway. Hollerbach was making hay while the sun shined, robbing a Wolfsburg player and gambolling forward.

The ball came out right to god knows who, the cross broke to Haberer in the box, but his low drive was plamed away by Grabara, sporting a heavy duty protective mask.

The opening 20 minutes saw us very comfortably on top. The trio of Schäfer, Haberer and Khedira didn't give their opposite numbers a moment's peace, and Wolfsburg couldn't really get out of their own half.

We looked really good on the ball at close quarters and were able to get down the flanks regularly, causing mass panic for the opposition but just unable to find the breakthrough.

The strangled cries of taller people around me said that we had another three or four decent chances in that opening spell, and we were getting the feeling that we would rue not putting one away.

Ilic went down on the edge of the box, it looked harmless enough but he couldn't carry on. A shame for the striker who has grown into the role in recent games - his blend of pace and power making him a real handful.

Ljubicic replaced him, but it took away some of our edge without a more physical presence up top, and Wolfsburg started to creep into the game.

Ronnow had to be alert to punch away a goalbound effort from a corner, and there was another close call I didn't even remotely see.

The game was much more even as the whistle went for half time, the early action having petered out into a stalemate.

Second Half

The second half started how the first ended, and we looked a little frustrated as the visitors came back into it and our attacking rhythm was disrupted.

Wolfsburg were playing a fascinatingly tiny striker, I honestly did not see him until the second half, but he didn't get much joy out of our three giants at the back.

A word for Leo Querfeld by the way - he's been outstanding recently, mature well beyond his years and now seemingly keeping Vogt out of the side entirely.

Baumgart has got the defence ticking again and we looked very solid in the main today.

Wolfsburg did slip their shackles once or twice, a ball in behind sending one of their forwards scurrying through on Ronnow. His shot was a beauty but Ronnow, the deity, simply stood up and batted it away, calm as you like.

It seemed like the game was ebbing away from us when suddenly the breakthrough came. Let me describe to you what I saw:

Ball loops through the air on left
Ball loops through the air again
Ball loops through the air again
Goalkeeper does starfish jump
Hollerbach is celebrating

It looked scrappy as anything but they all count, Wolfsburg wailing for an offside in vain.

We understandably sat back after the goal, happy to mop up increasingly desperate long balls from the visitors and look for the occasional break.

Skarke came on and did that thing where he puts his head down and looks like he's running really fast. Him and Ljubicic conspired to break away with pace but couldn't work out the final ball and the chance went.

Into the final minutes, Wolfsburg decided that playing long to a 3 foot tall striker maybe wasn't ideal, bringing on Behrens to, shall we say, a mixed reception.

He still couldn't get any joy out of our defenders, and we looked comfortable as the clock ticked down.

But all of a sudden, in the last minute, Wolfsburg found some space in behind on the left. I had a sickeningly perfect view of this one as their winger strode into the box all alone, came to the byline and slipped the ball through Ronnow's legs to the waiting Behrens.

The script was well and truly written, he was centimetres out, but somehow he managed to absolutely balloon the ball up, a glorious rainbow of a shot arcing way up and over the bar. Truly a miss for the ages, bringing joy to the Unioner.

Roussillon had been in close attendance and celebrated like he'd scored. If he got something on it, it was an incredible piece of defending.

We survived, and ran down the added time without further fuss, nearly nicking a second at the death.

As the sun set we celebrated a hugely satisfying win and our third in four games. We rode our luck at the end but overall deserved it, and another huge three points between us and the bottom sides.

No better place to be on a sunny Sunday evening.

Eisern!

By @MarkJB on Bluesky