RB Leipzig and Union Berlin draw goalless despite dramatic final phase

Not even a penalty worked out: RB Leipzig only managed a 0-0 draw against 1. FC Union Berlin despite dominating the game and the club's internal starting record of three consecutive wins remains unmatched. In front of 47,800 fans, Lois Openda missed a penalty in the 74th minute - it was the only real excitement in the boring Bundesliga match.

The focus was initially on the absentees. Leipzig had to make do without coach Marco Rose, who was serving a yellow-red ban from the Leverkusen game. Rose was still on the pitch with his players during the warm-up, before handing over responsibility to assistant Alexander Zickler 30 minutes before kick-off. He had already been in charge for the majority of the match in the 3-2 win at the champions.

Keyhanfar for Svensson

The absence on the Berlin bench, however, was unplanned. Bo Svensson was suffering from an infection and Union announced just over two hours before kick-off that the coach would miss the reunion with Rose. The duo had once played together at FSV Mainz 05. Babak Keyhanfar took over as head coach for the game.

He had apparently told his team not to do anything at all for the game under any circumstances. Union surrendered to complete offensive passivity, spending most of the first half in their own half. Even one attempt on Leipzig's goal? Not a chance. Leipzig had certainly expected that, but they struggled to produce any handball-like attacking moves.

Rothe tests Gulacsi

There were only a few half-baked opportunities, often characterized by individual class. Lois Openda (13th minute) took a shot after a counter-attack, but the ball whizzed past the goal. Shortly afterwards, the Belgian international (21st) beat two opponents on the right wing. However, his shot posed no problem for Union keeper Frederik Rönnow. Shortly before the break, Benjamin Henrichs (43) tried his luck with a long-range shot, but it was narrowly cleared for a corner.

Union then also became dangerous from set pieces. Tom Rothe (58) forced RB goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi into a brilliant save with his head after a corner. Immediately afterwards - again from a corner - Diogo Leite failed to beat Gulacsi. Zickler now reacted, bringing more creativity into Leipzig's play in Antonio Nusa and Arthur Vermeeren. A minute later, Xavi Simons (68) hit the crossbar.

Openda and the penalties

A goal was in the air - and it should have been. Referee Sven Jablonski rightly awarded a penalty after a foul by Kevin Vogt on Openda. But the Belgian did as he did last Friday with the national team against Israel - he missed. Rönnow had no problems at all with the ball, which was weakly pushed into the corner. In stoppage time, the Dane then also held a free-kick from David Raum from 18 meters - and Union, like Leipzig, remained without defeat this season.