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A lot of fight: Unions Paul Jaeckel (right) and Malmös Anders Christiansen
Photo:
IMAGO/Michael Taeger / IMAGO/Jan Huebner
Union Berlin did not put in an appealing performance, but won 1-0 (0-0) against Malmö FF thanks to a late penalty by Robin Knoche.
As a result, the leaders of the Bundesliga still have every chance of progressing in the Europa League.
In the other game in Group D, Union Saint-Gilloise and Sporting Braga drew 3-3 (1-3).
Saint-Gilles leads the standings with ten points ahead of Braga (7), Union (6) and Malmo (0).
Both teams started the game slowly.
Both Union Berlin and Malmo needed a win, and that knowledge seemed to paralyze the teams a bit.
It was tough right away - referee Aleksandar Stavrev from North Macedonia gave four yellow cards in the first half - but there were almost no chances.
Union attacker Sheraldo Becker provided the first playful highlight with his supposed lead goal in the 57th minute, before which he was clearly offside.
After that, however, Union was better in the game, Rani Khedira failed with a shot from outside the penalty area on the post (63rd).
In the course of the heated game, the very petty whistling referee increasingly lost control of the game.
In the 70th minute, after a duel between Berlin's Morten Thorsby and Malmö's Martin Olsson, he initially decided on a penalty for Union, but revised his decision after viewing the video images and warned Thorsby instead.
Shortly before the end there was another penalty for Union - and this time the decision was made after a foul by substitute Emmanuel Lomotey on Berlin's Kevin Behrens.
Robin Knoche converted safely on the bottom left (89th).
Shortly thereafter, Malmö's Lomotey, who had previously caused the penalty, saw the red card after a tackle (90+2.).
Malmö didn't get another chance.
kyo