On matchday 28, Union Berlin had already reached their season target of 40 points. However, the team in Köpenick does not want to sit back and relax, rather a new target is to be defined.
“To get three points at home on Friday night, to have broken the 40-point mark, it doesn’t get any better than that,” said a delighted Union’s Robin Knoche after the 1:0 against 1. FC Köln, which also meant that the goal for the season had been achieved, at the microphone of “DAZN”. For the defender, it was almost the perfect day after his contract was extended.
In addition to now having 41 points in their account, the Union side also ended a three-game winless streak, with the Köpenicker side picking up just one win in their last seven Bundesliga games overall before the game against Cologne. “Our internal target was 40 points, and we managed that today. It was a bit of a struggle the last few games,” revealed captain Christopher Trimmel.
“Thank God it was Cologne “
The Köpenicker had less trouble with mostly harmless Cologne, yet “it was a hard piece of work” for Trimmel and Co: “The one who makes the mistake will lose – and thank God it was Cologne.” The unlucky one was Jonas Hector, who played the ball into Taiwo Awoniyi’s foot shortly after the restart (49th). The attacker scored his 12th goal of the season, equalling the previous team record set by ex-Unioner (and current Cologne man) Sebastian Andersson in the 2019/20 season.
On to new goals
So after 28 matchdays, the season goal is already in the bag – and now? “Now we will sit down internally and define a new goal,” said Trimmel. And there would be a lot to define, after all, there is still a cup semi-final against Leipzig (20 April, 20.45 hrs) – or in the near future the derby at Hertha BSC next Saturday (18.30 hrs).
For Knoche, immediately after the end of the game, the derby win was at least already a formulable goal: “We want to show who is the number one in Berlin at the moment.” Coach Urs Fischer went a little further and even allowed the fans to dream: “They should dream, they can dream. We remain realistic. “