"Hard work" pays off at set-pieces as Union Berlin shame Gladbach

1. FC Union Berlin enjoyed their third win of the Bundesliga season with a dominant set-piece display against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Two goals from defender, Danilho Doekhi, and a sensational volley by Rani Khedira in the second half sealed the 3-1 victory that leaves Gladbach rooted to the bottom of the league table.

The goal scorers and Union Berlin Head Coach Steffen Baumgart, were full of praise for their side after the win:

Well Deserved Win

Rani Khedira’s volley in the second half sealed a dominant victory for Union Berlin. After the game, he was all smiles at his and the team’s performance, reflecting on how they are playing the odds with their focus on set-pieces.

“I thought what we did up until it was 2-1 was very, very good. In the middle of the second half, we lacked control. Gladbach made substitutions and increased the pressure – we were a bit floundering. The goal to make it 3-1 came at just the right time. It was in the air a long time. I had to stay patient but struck it well. I’m happy that the ball went on goal.

“Viewed over 90 minutes, I think the win was well deserved. The 1-2 was a small setback, but at halftime we pulled ourselves together, addressed things, and wanted to continue defending offensively. We then switched back to a 5-3-2 and had it under control again. We’re good at set pieces, and we’re working hard on it. That helps us win games – statistics say that 35 percent of goals in football come from set pieces. Maybe a little more for us, but that’s still allowed.”

All in the Timing

Danilho Doekhi scored his ninth header since joining Union Berlin in 2022, becoming the highest goalscorer of headers in the top five leagues in Europe. After the game, he reflected on how Union are moving in the right direction.

“At home against Hoffenheim in my first year, I scored a brace. That doesn’t happen often, but I’m glad it happened today. I scored straight away from the first corner, I timed it well. But it’s important for our game that we take the crowd with us straight away.

“I had a feeling before the 2-0, saw my chance, and then I hit it like a striker. We had a difficult phase at the end of the first half and in the second half too. You need a third goal to decide the game. You have to survive that phase. Ten points is respectable, but we have to keep working – with our playing skills, in challenges and on set pieces. But it’s not a bad start to the season. It’s still hard to say where we stand but it’s a good start.”

High intensity

Head Coach, Steffen Baumgart praised his side’s intensity in the opening exchanges to grab the lead and their resilience in the second half.

“We wanted to start with a high intensity. We didn’t manage that in our last home game, but this time we did. We know we’re pretty good at set pieces, but we need them for that. And we worked very hard for them. Doekhi scored a very nice goal to make it 1-0; you have to put him in that position first.

“In the second half, the opponent took control of the game after ten minutes, and we were lucky in a few phases, but we also defended well and found a way forward again. The 3-1 lead definitely went our way. We saw a game with lots of challenges, and I consider us deserved winners.

Captain, Christopher Trimmel was forced off injured after 39 minutes but Baumgart confirmed that Trimmel “is doing better than expected; we reacted in time, and he let us know in good time. It doesn’t seem to be that bad.”

GGFN | Oscar O’Mara