Spiderman Sheraldo Becker brought 1. FC Union Berlin a good deal closer to the Champions League. The outstanding striker contributed two goals and two assists to the spectacular 4:2 (3:0) of the Berlin Bundesliga club against pursuers SC Freiburg. In addition to Becker, who scored in the 36th and 38th minute and pulled a Spiderman mask over his head after his first goal, Kevin Behrens (5th minute) and Aissa Laidouni (80th) were also successful for Union. Manuel Gulde (56th) and Vincenzo Grifo (70th / penalty kick) scored for Freiburg, who only became lively after the break.
“The fans can keep dreaming,” said Union coach Urs Fischer on the Sky microphone: “We had to take the step today and grab it.” , because: “After the break, the tension was a bit gone.” Freiburg’s attacking star Grifo, on the other hand, struggled because of the first 45 minutes: “We slept through the first half completely. We knew what was at stake and what was to come: Long balls, Behrens, Becker, a lot of speed. You shouldn’t go into a game like that.”
In the table, the Berliners jumped up to third place at least until Sunday – Freiburg, who were disappointing in the first half, are now three points and, with a clearly worse goal difference, behind Union in fifth place. Only the top four teams in the table qualify for the Champions League.
In the An der Alten Försterei stadium, the 22,012 spectators cheered on two players even before the game started. Berlin right-back Christopher Trimmel made his 300th competitive game for Union. National player Christian Günter played his 300th Bundesliga game for Freiburg – no player had ever broken this mark in the history of the sports club.
Günter didn’t have much to celebrate though. After just five minutes, Behrens hit the corner after Becker’s submission to the Union leadership. Offensively, Freiburg never managed to surprise the usual deep staggered Berliners in the first half. Characteristic of the harmless guests was an advance from Killiann Sildillia, who after a little over 20 minutes hit a cross unchallenged into the side. SC coach Christian Streich crossed his arms on the edge of the field.
Streich reacts after the break
It took 28 minutes for the first SC chance, a header from Lukas Kübler was deflected over the crossbar by Union goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow. The Becker show followed on the other side. First he completed a Union counterattack to make it 2-0, then put on the Spiderman mask and consequently received a yellow card. Then he threw the ball powerfully into the short corner from 15 meters to make it 3-0. Central defender Robin Knoche provided both assists.
After the break, Streich made three changes: Noah Weißhaupt came on for Günter (46′), Kenneth Schmidt for Sildillia and Michael Gregoritsch for Yannik Keitel (both 53′). And suddenly something happened in the previously so tired Freiburg game. First Gulde headed the ball in after a Grifo corner, then Grifo converted a penalty. Previously, Danilho Doekhi had fouled Roland Sallai, who came on for the injured Kübler in the first half.
Freiburg now seemed to be on it, fighting for the equalizer – but once again Becker sprinted up and away during a counterattack and deliberately put it across to Laidouni, who had run with them, the rest was a matter of form: 4:2.
Matthias Ginter could have brought the tireless guests closer again, but only hit the crossbar from a short distance. The Berlin cleared the margin on the line. It only got really loud once during regular time: when Spiderman Becker substituted after a performance that should have been fit for the Champions League.
