Union Berlin 2-1 Cologne
Goals: 0-1 Duda (pen. 45'+2), 1-1 Kruse (pen. 48'), 2-1 Trimmel (67')

Union began the day in seventh, seven places and 13 points better off than their visitors, and they made the brighter start of the two sides at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. Grischa Prömel should have given them the lead in the opening few minutes when he met Nico Schlotterbeck's ball into the box, but he poked wide of a prone Timo Horn and his far post with the goal at his mercy. Cologne were forced into an early change soon after, when the injured - and booked - Jannes Horn made way for Rafael Czichos. Salih Özcan had a chance at the other end midway through the half, but Andreas Luthe showed why he has pulled ahead of the Liverpool-owned Loris Karius as Union's No.1, saving the shot after getting his angles right. Czichos then inadvertently blocked a Schlotterbeck header with his arm, but referee Deniz Aytekin let the indiscretion go after consultation with VAR. Schlotterbeck sent another header over the crossbar and Union's profligacy was punished when on the stroke of half-time when Ondrej Duda converted a penalty which Jonas Hector had earned.

The second half was only three minutes old when Kruse restored parity, though. Marius Wolf's handball in the area from a Julian Ryerson cross was adjudged to have been rather more avoidable than Czichos's in the first half, and the Union talisman stepped up to stroke home his eighth goal of the campaign. Cologne looked much livelier after that setback and dominated possession for much of the next half-hour, but their momentum was stopped in its tracks when Trimmel thumped home for 2-1 after meeting a Ryerson cross at the back post. Cologne coach Markus Gisdol rang the changes for the last 10 minutes, bringing on Dimitrios Limnios, Emmanuel Dennis and Kingsley Ehizibue, but the fresh legs failed to have the desired effect and Union closed out the 2-1 win.

FCU Union Berlin Union Berlin - KOE Cologne Cologne

Kruse and Trimmel fire Union past Cologne