RB Leipzig suffered its first setback in a successful run, losing 1:3 to Union Berlin on Friday evening. The Berliners ended their striker goal drought and pulled away from the relegation zone. Leipzig now risks a larger gap to the league leaders.
On the opening of matchday 14 in the German Bundesliga, 1. FC Union Berlin defeated RB Leipzig 3:1 (0:0) at the Alte Försterei. The first half was disjointed, with both teams struggling to find rhythm. RB Leipzig's standout was 19-year-old Yan Diomande, who troubled Berlin's defense with quick sprints and dribbles. Goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow denied his goal after a solo run in the 16th minute.
Union relied on long balls, which RB handled easily. The second half intensified with fierce duels. In the 57th minute, former Leipzig player Oliver Burke scored the opener, dancing past Castello Lukeba and curling into the top corner. The substitute Tidiam Gomis equalized with his first touch (60.). Union hit back swiftly: Christopher Trimmel crossed, and Ilyas Ansah headed in the 2:1 (64.). Tim Skarke sealed the win in stoppage time (90.+3).
These were Union's first striker goals since matchday 4. Coach Steffen Baumgart had previously lamented the drought: 'That really gets on my nerves.' After the victory, he praised: 'We played against one of the form strongest teams [...] and brought the game home our way.' Leipzig's sporting director Marcel Schäfer admitted: 'This shouldn't happen to us. [...] Union exploited it coldly.'
For RB, it was the first stumble after successes like the 6:0 against Frankfurt. If Bayern wins on Sunday, the gap to the top will be eleven points. Union remains unbeaten in Friday night home games since September 2019 and widens its buffer from the relegation zone.
