1. FC Nürnberg celebrate Peniel Mlapa's (No34) opener in the fourth minute at home to Union Berlin (© Imago)
1. FC Nürnberg celebrate Peniel Mlapa's (No34) opener in the fourth minute at home to Union Berlin (© Imago)

Nürnberg win mid-table tussle with Union Berlin

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Nuremberg - 1. FC Nürnberg collected their first three points of 2015 thanks to a 2-1 home victory over mid-table rivals Union Berlin.

Peniel Mlapa set the hosts on course for victory as early as the fourth minute after Union failed to clear their lines following a well-worked corner routine, allowing the striker to block an attempted clearance into the net. The visitors did manage to equalise shortly afterwards through Sebastian Polter, although he would later turn the tide of the game in Nuremberg’s favour with a bizarre handball inside his own penalty area.

The midfielder stuck out his arm to block Alessandro Schöpf’s free-kick, giving the referee no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Jakub Sylvestr made no mistake, sending Union goalkeeper Daniel Haas the wrong way. Slovakian striker Sylvestr made sure of the victory late on, tapping in from close range following good work on the right by Nicklas Stark. As a result Nürnberg moved above their guests in the table and now sit in seventh place in the standings.

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