Unfancied Union Berlin found themselves on the verge of a title challenge as they came into 2036 just two points off the top of Bundesliga with multiple games in hand. But could the unlikely challengers maintain their stunning form?
Key to that prospect was holding onto their star players despite the likes of Grga Picak and striker Michael Storskov attracting attention from across Europe. Prusseit also added to his squad with pacey 18-year-old centre-back Cláudio Borborema arriving from Palmeiras for £8.5m.
Can Union Maintain Their Challenge?
Union had nearly a month away from league matters but returned with five games in two weeks as they played catch-up on their rivals. They looked a little rusty at 9th-place Gladbach but earned a draw through strikers Miroslav Milosevic and Storskov. One of their three games in hand saw 15th-place Nürnberg come to town and they tarted poorly by conceding inside 90 seconds. But they dominated the game and eventually turned things around with second-half goals by Picak and winger Kevin Starke.
Three days later, they entertained 16th-place Hoffenheim and goals by Starke, holding midfielder Abdelkarim Belkacem and winger Lucas sealed a comfortable 3-0 win. A second game in hand swiftly followed at 14th-place Köln and a Storskov goal nicked a cagey game 1-0 to move Union three points clear with one more game in hand remaining. And the busy spell ended with a seven-goal thriller at Leverkusen, which Union edged led by a Milosevic brace.
Prusseit got to rest his squad ahead of a big Berliner Derby at home to Hertha. Union made a flying start as Milosevic drilled home from the edge of the box after 70 seconds. Hertha grew into the game after the break, missed a couple of big chances and were made to pay as a stunning Picak pass sent Storskov through to seal a 2-0 victory, despite missing a late penalty.
A Tricky Run Of Games
The strong start to the year continued as a Storskov brace downed St. Pauli 2-0 and took him to 20 goals for the season. But their good form ended with a 4-2 defeat at 7th-place Wolfsburg in which Storskov picked up an injury.
Prusseit passed 200 games in charge of Union in a big game at home to 3rd-place Frankfurt. And Storskov’s replacement Claudio Sepúlveda delivered on his first Bundesliga start with a second-half brace to inspire a 3-2 victory. Another tough game followed as Union went to 5th-place Dortmund and lost 2-1 in a really poor performance. A good chance to put that loss behind them came at home to bottom side Arminia Bielefeld. They dominated the game but left it late as Lucas and Sepúlveda edged a 2-0 victory.
Europa Conference League Knockouts
Union drew Cypriot side AEK Larnacas in the round of 16. They went to Cyprus first and a concerning defensive performance was bailed out by wingers Picak and Bruno Rodríguez sealing a 3-2 win. They were dominant back in Berlin and a Lucas double was enough for a 2-0 victory. Bødo-Glimt followed in the quarter-final and a Sepúlveda hat-trick inspired a 3-0 win in Norway then a fully rotated team won 2-0 at home through Sepúlveda and Lucas.
Another Scandinavian side followed in the semi-final as Union took on København. A trip to Denmark was up first and midfielder Gerhard Seibert’s screamer and winger Omar Nzeyimana’s penalty earned a comfortable 2-0 win, which took them past the Conference League record of 48 goals this campaign. And Rodríguez came off the bench to add one more for a 1-0 win in Berlin.
Union Berlin were heading to the Europa Conference League Final!
Tight Bundesliga Title Race
With eight games remaining, Union trailed the seemingly invincible Bayern, who’d won 10 on the bounce since the start of the year, by three points with a game in hand. Realistically, Union had already improved their best finish under Prusseit of 7th and the club’s all-time best finish of 5th set back in 1971.
Game 1 – Hamburg (8th, away): The run-in began with Storskov returning from injury to score a six-minute hat-trick and Milosevic ended a 10-hour goal drought in a 4-2 victory. The next day, Bayern won their 11th on the bounce 2-0 at Stuttgart.
Game 2 – RB Leipzig (5th, home): Union hadn’t beaten Leipzig in six games since Prusseit’s first clash with them and that’s their only win in the side’s last 22 meetings. Bayern made it 12 in a row, thumping Paderborn 4-0. Leipzig had their right-back sent off then scored their first shot on target while Union failed to put their chances away. But the game swung on a terrible sub as Mraz headed home a corner then Lucas scored twice in three minutes to claim all three points for his team. That sealed the club’s highest-ever finish and first Champions League qualification.
Game 3 – Köln (13th, away): Possibly the most winnable game saw Köln come to town and take the lead after 25 minutes. But Storskov stepped up with two goals either side of halftime to lead a 2-1 victory. Bayern won a 13th straight 3-1 at Hamburg.
Game 4 – Bayern (1st, away): The title race could swing on a trip to 13 successive wins Bayern. Former Union player Nico Korte gave them a potential opportunity when he got sent off in first-half injury time. Union still struggled to create anything against 10 men but at least stopped Bayern scoring to keep their lead at three points.
Game 5 – Freiburg (6th, home): Union came out firing as Storskov and Milosevic made it 2-0 inside 17 minutes. Seibert added a third after the break before Nzeyimana rattled in a penalty to crown a thumping 4-0 win. The next day, Bayern won 2-1 at Köln.
Game 6 – Stuttgart (10th, away): Union’s game in hand took them to Stuttgart and Rodríguez’s 44th-minute strike nicked a 1-0 win which, combined with Lee Kwang-Sun making eight saves, moved them level with Bayern with two games remaining.
Game 7 – Nürnberg (13th, away): Union realistically needed another three points as Bayern won 1-0 at home to Leizpig the day before. But they struggled at Nürnberg, who had the best of the game with 15 shots to seven but neither side found a way through and it ended 0-0.
Game 8 – Wolfsburg (5th, home): A week later, the title came down to the final day with Bayern leading Union by two points. Union hosted Wolfsburg while Bayern hosted Freiburg. Union struck first as Mikulas Mraz headed home a corner but quickly fell 2-1 behind. Prusseit fired the team up and they responded Borborema’s first goal for the club and Seibert fired them back in front 10 minutes later. But, just as he did, Jamal Musiala put Bayern in front and added a second late on. So Bayern won the title.
Union finished 2nd just two points behind Bayern, which earned them a huge £95m. Their tally of 83 points was a new record tally without winning the title, after only losing three times all season and finishing a huge 16 points clear of 3rd-place Frankfurt. Storskov was third-top scorer with 22 goals, Rodríguez topped the assists chart with 12 followed by Picak on 11 and Lee’s 14 clean sheets was only bettered by Bayern’s Costa with 22.
Europa Conference League Final
Union Berlin’s first-ever cup final saw them take on Lyon in the Europa Conference League Final at Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna. Prusseit had a full bill of health so lined up:
Lee; Nilsson Morsing, Mraz, Borborema, Anana; Iida, Seibert; Picak, Rodríguez; Storskov, Milosevic
Subs: Sepúlveda, Reitz, Vogt, Belkacem, Nzeyimana, Lucas, Ammermann, Starke, Kunert, Sahin, Juanpa, Ostermann
Union came out on the front foot and had two decent chances well saved. But they eventually got their reward as Storskov latched onto a delicious through-ball by Mathias Nillson Morsing, controlled it superbly and slammed home at the near post. Lyon offered even less after the break, only mustering one shot on target, and substitute Nzeyimana made sure of the win from a late corner.
Union Berlin won the Europa Conference League!!
Celebrating Union’s Greatest-Ever Season
This was undoubtedly the greatest season in Union history, recording their best-ever league finish and winning their first major trophy. Prusseit was delighted with how the season had gone and really pleased with his squad’s ability to fight on domestic and continental fronts and push a big-spending Bayern so close.
Storskov again led their goalscoring chart with 27 goals in 47 games. But there were much more contributions from elsewhere with Sepúlveda scoring 20 followed by Milosevic (19), Picak (15), Lucas (13) and Nzeyimana (12). Rodríguez was their leading assisted with 16 followed by Storskov (15), Picak (12) and Nzeyimana, Starke and Nilsson Morsing (9).
The achievements further strengthened Prusseit’s belief that he was working with the best young squad in the world. And the strength of young talent at the club was confirmed by left-back Ali Anani winning NxGn 2036 with Nzeyimana in 5th.
Could Ruprecht Prusseit build on the best season in Union history? And how would they fare in their first Champions League campaign? Join us on Friday to find out!
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