SAN FRANCISCO, December 13, (THEWILL) – Bundesliga club Union Berlin welcomed Bayern Munich to the Stadion An der Alten Fosterei on Saturday and showed little respect for the status of their illustrious guests. They began peppering Manuel Neuer’s goal with shots that the Germany No.1 had to be at his best to keep out.
However, even he could not survive such an unwavering onslaught. In the fourth minute, Grischa Prömel’s header from Christopher Trimmel’s corner beat Neuer and Union took the lead.
Winger Serge Gnabry’s often impeccable ball control let him down when, put clean through on Andreas Luthe’s goal and well poised to level, his poor first touch saw the chance wasted.
The same could not be said of the fine control of the ball that Nigerian attacker Taiwo Awoniyi showed as he took winger Sheraldo Becker’s pass in his stride and raced away from the Bayern defence. Yet, his finish lacked the same composure of his control and he screwed his shot wide of Neuer’s goal.
Lewandowski also had his own head-scratching moment when he stumbled to the ground instead of getting in a shot in front of Luthe, as Union went into the break leading the champions.
Kingsley Coman, who got in a shot late in the first half, had the first chance of the second too, but it was the same Becker-Awoniyi combination that almost doubled the lead for the hosts.
Right back Christopher Trimmel chipped a delightful pass under Awoniyi’s nose as the hosts continued to combine courage with confidence, but Neuer was swiftly off his line to clear the danger, before Becker flashed a shot wide.
Luthe remained alert to make two instinctive saves before Coman blazed a trail around the back of the Union defence to tee up Lewandowski for his 249th Bundesliga goal, and this game’s leveller.
Yet, Union continued to pose a consistent and considerable threat on the counter-attack. Keita Endo and Marvin Friedrich both gave Neuer some work to do as Union came closest to taking all three points in a stalemate they would arguably have been more disappointed about than their guests.
Union were fortunate not to leave empty-handed, though and they have to thank Luthe for that as his stunning save from Sane at the death was what preserved that point Union earned in the tie.
