RB Leipzig secured their fifth consecutive Bundesliga victory with a commanding 3-1 win over Union Berlin on Friday night, boosting their UEFA Champions League qualification prospects and leaving Marie-Louise Eta still searching for her first win as Union interim coach.
The match, played at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, kicked off at 18:30 UTC (20:30 local time) as part of Matchday 31 of the 2025-26 Bundesliga season. Leipzig came into the fixture having won their previous four Bundesliga fixtures and already secured continental football for next season, but knew a victory would take them a step closer to a return to Europe’s top table in 2026/27.
Union Berlin, meanwhile, were searching for their first victory since defeating Freiburg 1-0 in mid-March. A win would have given them breathing space over the Bundesliga’s relegation play-off position, but they never looked like claiming all three points against Leipzig’s charges on Friday night.
The home side started brightly, with Antonio Nusa forcing a save from Frederik Rønnow in just the seventh minute. The Dane made another fine stop from Rômulo two minutes later, but he was powerless to prevent Max Finkgräfe from opening the scoring midway through the first half.
Leopold Querfeld’s headed clearance fell straight to the Leipzig full-back, who powered a half-volley past Rønnow from the edge of the area for his first Bundesliga goal. Things went from bad to worse for Querfeld and Union three minutes later as the defender’s attempted header back to Rønnow was intercepted by Rômulo, who stroked the ball into the unguarded net to double the home side’s lead.
Union’s woes continued shortly after the half-hour mark, when Rønnow was forced off with an injury and replaced by Bundesliga debutant Carl Klaus. Leipzig extended their lead just after the hour mark when Baku finished off a move initiated by Diomande to develop it 3-0.
Union finally got on the scoresheet when Doekhi pulled one back with assistance from Juranović, but it was merely a consolation as Leipzig held on to secure the victory. The result leaves Union still searching for their first win under interim head coach Marie-Louise Eta, who took over following the departure of the previous head coach earlier this season.
For Leipzig, the victory represents another step in their push for a Champions League spot next season. With four wins in their last five matches across all competitions, the Red Bull side have found rhythm at the right end of the season as they aim to secure a top-four finish in the Bundesliga.
The result continues a difficult period for Union Berlin, who have struggled to find consistent form since the turn of the year. Their last victory came over a month ago against Freiburg, and they have picked up just a handful of points from their last several matches as they battle to avoid relegation.
Looking ahead, Leipzig will look to build on this momentum in their next Bundesliga fixture as they continue their pursuit of European qualification for next season. Union Berlin, meanwhile, will need to find a response quickly as they fight to climb away from the bottom half of the table and secure their Bundesliga status for next season.
The victory marks Leipzig’s fifth consecutive Bundesliga win and underscores their strong finish to the season as they aim for a Champions League place. For Union, the search for their first win under Eta continues as they look to arrest a concerning decline in form that has seen them fall well short of expectations this campaign.
As the Bundesliga season enters its final stages, every point becomes increasingly vital for both clubs – Leipzig in their chase for European football, and Union in their battle to avoid the drop. Friday’s result leaves both sides with clear objectives as they head into the concluding weeks of the season.
