Union Berlin overturn early deficit in cup upset
Union Berlin came from behind to beat Eintracht Braunschweig 4-2 in the Round of 64 of the German Cup at the Eintracht-Stadion on 23 August. Max Marie had given the hosts a 2-1 lead inside the first half, but Union turned the match inside out after the break. And here's the thing about cup football — it has its own rules, and Braunschweig's dominance in possession meant nothing when the chances mattered.
Royale on 11 minutes, Marie flicked in to put Braunschweig ahead before Zeno Van Den Bosch equalised for Union at 31. Marie struck again just after the hour mark, but then Union hit back in quick succession. Tom Alexander Rothe found the net at 63, and Marin Ljubičić doubled his tally with a goal at 72 before adding a second at 90+4 to complete the turnaround.
The statistics tell you everything you need to know about where the game went wrong. Braunschweig held 63 per cent possession and created only one big chance from 12 shots, while Union managed three big chances from 15 attempts with a higher expected goals total. To be fair, the visitors kept knocking on the door, and their shots on target ratio was far superior.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the interval, with both managers searching for something different. Union brought on Woo-Yeong Jeong and Emmanuel Latte Lath together at 62, while Braunschweig responded with changes of their own. By then the momentum had clearly shifted, and the hosts were left chasing shadows.
Three yellow cards flew in for Union late on — Van Den Bosch at 85, then Aebischer and Aydın together at 88 — but the damage was already done. Braunschweig showed one caution through Kemlein at 53, but that was a minor detail in a match decided by moments of quality. The home side ran out of legs, and Union closed the game out with authority.
Union Berlin advance with a comfortable margin, while Braunschweig's cup run ends in disappointment despite their territorial control. The result means the visitors move closer to their objective, having shown they can win away from home when it counts most.