Substitute Cedric Teuchert scored late for Union Berlin to stun third-placed Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 and move to fourth in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Teuchert came on for the injured Sheraldo Becker midway through the first half and missed chances before finally beating Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky in the 88th minute after a brilliant through ball from Christopher Lenz.
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Substitute Cedric Teuchert scored late for Union Berlin to stun third-placed Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 and move to fourth in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Leverkusen dominated possession but lacked efficiency and slumped to its third defeat in four games. Peter Bosz’s team had been unbeaten before losing at home to Bayern Munich 2-1 on Dec. 19 and it hasn’t won since.
Union came closest to scoring early on when Marvin Friedrich’s header touched the outside of the left post in the 15th minute.
Teuchert went close again in the 61st after some fine play from Ingvartsen to set him up, and the near miss spurred the visitors to respond. Leon Bailey and Patrik Schick were both blocked.
“I heard there were words on the pitch that have no place on the pitch,” said Fischer, who said he missed the alleged incident. “I heard from both sides that words were exchanged between two sides.”
“A few good counterattacks before we eventually get the goal. An amazing win,” Union forward Marcus Ingvartsen said.
Union Berlin coach Urs Fischer speaks in an interview before the start of the Bundesliga soccer match between Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei in Berlin, Germany, Friday Jan. 15, 2021. (Andreas GoraPool via AP)
Leverkusen dominated possession but lacked efficiency and slumped to its third defeat in four games. Peter Bosz’s team had been unbeaten before losing at home to Bayern Munich 2-1 on Dec. 19 and it hasn’t won since.
Union is surprising many in its second Bundesliga season, a season in which it had been expected to be fighting relegation. It has already taken points from Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Wolfsburg. It has the second best offense with 32 goals. Only Bayern has more.
“We stepped up this season a lot. Our organization is perfect almost every game,” Ingvartsen said after Union stretched its unbeaten run to six games. “We know our basics and we’ve been much better on the ball this season. We create much more. We come out as another team (compared) to last season. I think every one, as an individual and as a team, has developed.”
Berlin's Sheraldo Becker, center, fights for the ball against Bayer Leverkusen's Kerem Demirbay, left, and Julian Baumgartlinger during the Bundesliga soccer match between Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei in Berlin, Germany, Friday Jan. 15, 2021. (Andreas GoraPool via AP)
Union came closest to scoring early on when Marvin Friedrich’s header touched the outside of the left post in the 15th minute.
The home side had to bring on Teuchert for Becker in the 24th after the speedy forward injured his left ankle in a tussle for the ball with Edmond Tapsoba.
Union went even closer early in the second half, when Teuchert found himself totally free in front of Hradecky and aimed for the right corner, only to see his shot come back off the inside of the post and rebound across the goal-line before grazing the other post.
Berlin's Taiwo Awoniyi, center, goes down in action with Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah, left, and Daley Sinkgraven during the Bundesliga soccer match between Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei in Berlin, Germany, Friday Jan. 15, 2021. (Andreas GoraPool via AP)
Teuchert went close again in the 61st after some fine play from Ingvartsen to set him up, and the near miss spurred the visitors to respond. Leon Bailey and Patrik Schick were both blocked.
Teuchert’s persistence finally paid off, however.
The game ended on a sour note with Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah telling broadcaster DAZN that teammate Nadiem Amiri had been verbally abused by an opponent. Union coach Urs Fischer attempted to console the furious Amiri after the whistle.
Daley Sinkgraven of Bayer Leverkusen, left, and Berlin's Robert Andrich during the Bundesliga soccer match between Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei in Berlin, Germany, Friday Jan. 15, 2021. (Andreas GoraPool via AP)
“I heard there were words on the pitch that have no place on the pitch,” said Fischer, who said he missed the alleged incident. “I heard from both sides that words were exchanged between two sides.”
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Coach of Bayer Leverkusen Peter Bosz speaks in an interview before the start of the Bundesliga soccer match between Union Berlin and Bayer Leverkusen at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei in Berlin, Germany, Friday Jan. 15, 2021. (Andreas GoraPool via AP)
Greuther Fürth was relegated from the Bundesliga after losing at home to Champions League candidate Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 on Saturday.
Jetro Willems gave the enthusiastic home fans some hope of a miraculous escape with the opening goal in the fifth minute, but Patrik Schick answered four minutes later and Sardar Azmoun, Paulinho and Exequiel Palacios piled on for the visitors.
Fürth remained bottom of the league after 31 games – 12 points from safety with three games remaining.
Fuerth's players Sebastian Griesbeck, left, and Timothy Tillman, right, walk across the pitch after the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Fuerth, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. Greuther Fürth has been relegated from the Bundesliga with a 4-1 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen. (Daniel Karmanndpa via AP)
Coach Stefan Leitl’s team was promoted last year when it finished second in the second division, but it never recovered from a poor start to the Bundesliga despite encouraging performances in the second half of the season. Fürth lost all but one of its first 14 games until it claimed its first win in the 15th round by beating Union Berlin.
Also on Saturday, Union came from behind thanks to substitute Sven Michel to beat Leipzig 2-1 away and atone for its loss to Leipzig in their German Cup semifinal on Wednesday.
Michel equalized in the 86th then set up Kevin Behrens with his heel for a dramatic winner in the 89th as Union won in Leipzig for the first time.
Fuerth's players walk across the pitch after the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Fuerth, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. Greuther Fürth has been relegated from the Bundesliga with a 4-1 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen. (Daniel Karmanndpa via AP)
The end of Leipzig’s 15-game unbeaten run across all competitions allowed Leverkusen to reclaim third place. Leverkusen dropped to fourth last weekend with a loss at home to Leipzig, but the sides have switched positions again, leaving Leipzig in the last qualification place for the Champions League.
Freiburg was fifth after coming from two goals down to lead Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 only to concede the equalizer in injury time to Gladbach’s Lars Stindl.
Cologne was seventh behind Union after a 3-1 win over Arminia Bielefeld, which remained second from bottom and the favorite to join Fürth in the second division.
Union's Sven Michel, right, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and 1. FC Union Berlin in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Jan Woitasdpa via AP)
Also, Eintracht Frankfurt drew with Hoffenheim 2-2.
Bayern Munich hosted main rival Borussia Dortmund in “der Klassiker” late Saturday, when the Bavarian powerhouse was hoping to seal what would be a record-extending 10th consecutive title.
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Leverkusen's scorer Exequiel Palacios, left, and his teammate Paulinho celebrate their side's fourth goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Fuerth, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Daniel Karmanndpa via AP)
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Freiburg's Christian Guenter celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SC Freiburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022 (Tom Wellerdpa via AP)
Frankfurt's Daichi Kamada, center, scores his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween Eintracht Frankfurt and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Arne Dedertdpa via AP)
Cologne's scorer Anthony Modeste, left, and Jannes Horn, right, celebrate their side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween 1. FC Cologne and Arminia Bielefeld in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Marius Beckerdpa via AP)
Frankfurt's head coach Oliver Glasner gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween Eintracht Frankfurt and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Arne Dedertdpa via AP)
Leverkusen's Sardar Azmoun celebrates his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SpVgg Greuther Fuerth and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Fuerth, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Daniel Karmanndpa via AP)
Freiburg's head coach Christian Streich gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SC Freiburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Tom Wellerdpa via AP)
Moenchengladbach's Kouadio Kone, left, and Freiburg's Vincenzo Grifo, right, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween SC Freiburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Tom Wellerdpa via AP)
Leipzig's goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, right, saves the ball against Union's Taiwo Awoniyi, left, during the German Bundesliga soccer match bettween RB Leipzig and 1. FC Union Berlin in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, April 23, 2022. ( Jan Woitasdpa via AP)
