Bundesliga: No point again: Eta loses again with Union

Max Finkgräfe (22nd minute) took the lead in front of 47,800 spectators, Romulo (25th) immediately increased the score. After the substitution, Ridle Baku (63′) also scored for Leipzig. At least Danilho Doekhi scored the next goal in the 78th minute.

At her husband Benjamin’s employer, who is employed by RB as coach of the U20 women, Eta was greeted with a warm hug by RB head coach Ole Werner. After all, she had sat in as a trainer not far from the Red Bull Arena on Cottaweg in Leipzig in 2022 and then looked over Werner’s shoulder in Bremen.

Two goals conceded in a few minutes

In her first away game, 34-year-old Eta was immediately up to speed. She conducted and applauded enthusiastically on the Köpenick sidelines. The North German Werner took it easy. At short notice he had to do without Nicolas Seiwald, who was ill.

Romulo (9th) had the first big chance after great preliminary work from Yan Diomande. First Union goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow, who had fallen out, saved the ball, then Andras Schäfer, who was rotated into the starting line-up with Janik Haberer, headed the rebounding ball out of bounds from the goal line.

Union was very deep from the start and relied more on quick reversal play via the strong sprinter ex-Leipziger Oliver Burke. After a strong attack from Leipzig’s Diomande down the right side, Rönnow was able to defend towards the middle, where Leopold Querfeld headed the ball directly at the feet of Finkgräfe (22′). He took the lead with his first RB goal. Then Romulo cleverly increased with a lob (25th) when Querfeld wanted to clear a shot from RB keeper Maarten Vandevoordt to Rönnow.

Union goalkeeper Rönnow out injured

After the 0-2 deficit, Eta took advantage of Rönnow’s short injury break to talk intensively to their players. The keeper then had to be replaced by Carl Klaus due to injury. After a corner (40th) and a few attempts to clear the ball, he prevented the next RB goal when he directed the ball over the crossbar.

In stoppage time, Union had the only top-class chance in the first half: Burke, who ran alone towards Vandevoordt (45th + 2), was denied by the Belgian goalkeeper.

After the change, the Köpenickers increased their offensive power slightly. That gave RB more space. Diomande then passed the ball through to the steep Baku (63′), who shot in from short distance. Doekhi’s header goal briefly gave the guests hope again – in vain. Another goal in stoppage time was disallowed – offside.

RB boss Mintzlaff on the treadmill parallel to the game

Leipzig’s supervisory board chairman and Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff ran 10 kilometers on the treadmill next to the RB substitute bench twice during the game for a good cause, having already collected donations from Jürgen Klopp, among others. With his campaign, the former long-distance runner also promoted the Wings for Life World Run, the largest running event in the world on May 10th.