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FCU Union Berlin 1. FC Union Berlin - M05 Mainz 1. FSV Mainz 05

Highlight Video 1 fc union berlin vs 1 fsv mainz 05

Highlights

30'
N. Amiri

An der Alten Försterei(Sold out)

Bastian Dankert

35 %Nadiem Amiri

Full-time: Union Berlin 2-2 Mainz

What a recovery by Union Berlin! Mainz were so close to making it 3-0 with a little over 15 minutes remaining, but the home side kept pushing and got their just rewards at the end of a pulsating second half to deny Fischer all three points on his return to the Stadion an der Alten Försterei.

Full-time

90'

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes

Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.

Oliver Burke33.58km/h

Nikolas Konrad Veratschnig33.01km/h

Derrick Arthur Köhn32.85km/h

89'

Stoppage time approaching

We're going to have three added minutes at the end of the second half.

0:20

Watch: Magnificent trickery

Köhn with a lovely bit of skill to evade Nebel before winning a free-kick.

Union are level!

It's 2-2! Doekhi rises highest to direct Köhn's free-kick delivery over the line off the underside of the crossbar. Ljubicić made absolutely sure the ball had gone in, nodding it into the unguarded net, but Doekhi is claiming it.

86'

Marin Ljubicic

GOAL!

2:2

Goal probability

Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.

13 %

Distance to Goal

The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.

8.16 m

85'

Substitution

Lennard Maloney

Phillip Tietz

83'

Time for another twist?

A little over seven minutes (plus stoppage time) left to play in Berlin. We're in for a barnstorming finish.

0:27

Watch: Off the bar!

So close to a leveller as Schäfer catches Batz off his line and loops the ball over the stranded Mainz goalkeeper, but it rebounds off the crossbar and Mainz eventually hoof it clear.

78'

Substitution

Armindo Sieb

Benedict Hollerbach

78'

Substitution

Paul Nebel

Nadiem Amiri

78'

Substitution

Marin Ljubicic

Diogo Leite

Game on!

Second-half substitute Wooyeong Jeong hauls Union back into the contest, nodding home Köhn's cross from close range to reduce the areas. Can they now find an equaliser?

77'

Wooyeong Jeong

GOAL!

1:2

Goal probability

37 %

Distance to Goal

The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.

7.88 m

73'

Nearly 3-0!

Union lose possession deep inside their own half and Hollerbach almost makes them pay, crashing a powerful shot off the crossbar from a tight angle.

71'

Two more Union changes

Jeong and Trimmel are on for the hosts, but Baumgart's team have a mountain to climb now.

Hollerbach strikes!

Make that 2-0! Veratschnig sends a low ball acoss the face of goal and former Union striker Hollerbach pounces, slotting home from close range for his first Bundesliga goal of the campaign. What a time and place to get it!

70'

Substitution

Wooyeong Jeong

Oliver Burke

70'

Substitution

Christopher Trimmel

Janik Haberer

69'

Benedict Hollerbach

GOAL!

0:2

Goal probability

51 %

Distance to Goal

The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.

6.27 m

68'

Still time for Union

xGoals

The xGoals value of a club is calculated from the sum of all goal probabilities (goals and shots on goal) of that team. During a match, it’s easy to see whether the club is performing better than expected (goals > xGoals) - or maybe even higher (xGoals > goals).

The hosts have certainly had plenty of chances since the restart, but it remains 1-0 to the visitors.

xGoals

1.06

0.53

Goals

66'

Double Union change

Schäfer and Ansah enter the fray. Twenty-five minutes left to play in the capital.

65'

Substitution

András Schäfer

Aljoscha Kemlein

65'

Substitution

Ilyas Ansah

Livan Burcu

63'

Close call

Khedira almost gets a touch on Burke's cross-shot from the right corner of the box, but the ball ends up rolling straight into Batz's arms.

61'

Ball Recovery Time

Ball Recovery Time gives the time in seconds in which it takes a team to win back the ball following a loss of possession. It also allows conclusions to be drawn about a team's style of play. Only time when the ball is in play is counted (i.e. no breaks in play such as for goal-kicks, throw-ins etc).

FCU

M05

16.2 s

19.3 s

58'

Doekhi cautioned

Doekhi stops a Mainz counter-attack in its tracks with a late challenge on Veratschnig. No complaints from the Union defender as the referee brandishes the yellow card.

57'

Yellow card

Danilho Doekhi

55'

Clever routine

Hollerbach wins a corner at the other end after another speedy breakaway from the visitors. Amiri's low ball into the box is met by Widmer, who blazes his shot high over the crossbar.

52'

No way through

Köhn and Kemlein try to link up on the corner of the area but fail to find a way through Mainz's deep-lying rearguard. The visitors are looking fairly comfortable at the moment.

49'

Calmness personified

Burke almost gets in the way of Batz's attempted clearance upfield, but the Mainz goalkeeper manages to clear the ball in the nick of time.

47'

Hollerbach lively

Veratschnig goes down on the edge of the box but the referee waves play on as Hollerbach collects the loose ball and tries to force an early corner, but the home side eventually manage to win back possession.

46'

Back under way

Mainz kick off the second half.

Kick-off!

45'

+ 3

Here come the visitors

Mainz are the first team to emerge for the second half. Can they continue their unbeaten start to life under Fischer, or can Union fight their way back into this one?

What it means to Mainz...

...and goalscorer Amiri. What a fine finish it was!

Half-time: Union Berlin 0-1 Mainz

What a superb first 45 minutes that was at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei! We've had chances at both ends, but Amiri's sumptuous control and finish separates the teams at the halfway mark. So far, so good for Mainz boss Fischer on his return to Union.

Half-time

45'

+ 1

Into stoppage time

Two minutes added on at the end of the first half.

0:23

Watch: Burcu goes close

Batz is finally forced into action as Burcu tries to find the bottom corner with a right-footed shot from the edge of the six-yard box, but it's a comfortable stop for the Mainz custodian.

43'

Off target

Köhn's inswinging corner lands at the feet of Burke but the forward can't sort his feet out quickly enough and the ball rolls behind for a goal-kick.

41'

Union pressing

Into the final five minutes of the first half. Mainz remain a threat on the break but Fischer's team are having to withstand heavy pressure as we tick closer to half-time.

39'

Let-off for Union

The visitors break at pace and Amiri tries to thread a ball through to Hollerbach, but the two Mainz players aren't quite on the same wavelength and Union manage to regroup.

37'

Five attempts each...

...but the hosts have yet to hit the target this afternoon.

Goal attempts

5off target

0on target

0off target

5on target

34'

Pushing for an equaliser

Union have responded reasonably well to falling behind. Moments after Burcu curls a low shot narrowly off target from the edge of the area, Burke gets on the end of a cross but directs his header just wide of the upright.

Mainz strike first!

The visitors have the lead! Amiri was denied by Rønnow a few moments ago but makes no mistake here, controlling Sano's pass before rifling an unstoppable volley into the corner of the net for his fourth league goal of the season - and his first from open play.

30'

Nadiem Amiri

GOAL!

0:1

Goal probability

21 %

Shot speed

Shot speed describes the maximum speed in km/h that a ball reaches in a shot on goal. The distance is measured from the location of the shot to the centre of the goal.

72.21 km/h

Distance to Goal

The distance to goal is measured at the time of the shot - from the position of the ball to the center of the goal.

11.23 m

30'

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes

Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.

Oliver Burke33.58km/h

Nikolas Konrad Veratschnig33.01km/h

Derrick Arthur Köhn32.85km/h

Good effort!

Amiri turns away from his opponent around 25 metres from goal and unleashes a low shot towards the bottom left corner, but Rønnow is down quickly to make another smart save. Decent effort from the Mainz man, though.

26'

Brief stoppage

Tietz needs a spot of treatment after going down on the edge of the Mainz area but the frontman is quickly back on his feet.

24'

Bell to the rescue

Ilić gets on the end of Haberer's cross from the right-hand side and tries to cushion a header into the path of Burcu, but the veteran Mainz defender hoofs the ball out of harm's way.

22'

Haberer penalised

The Union wideman catches Lee near the touchline and Mainz have a free-kick. Amiri lofts the ball into the area but it's cleared by the home side.

20'

Mainz holding firm

Haberer launches another long throw into the Mainz box. Burke tries to get on the end of it but the visitors eventually clear their lines.

19'

First booking

Leite accidentally catches Hollerbach with an outstretched arm and is shown the game's first yellow card.

19'

Yellow card

Diogo Leite

17'

Good defending

Köhn tries to play a one-two with Burcu but Widmer is alert to the danger and slides the ball out for a throw-in to Union.

14'

Settling down

The visitors are starting to see more of the ball now. Hollerbach is the latest Mainz player to try his luck from the edge of the box, but it's another straightforward stop for Rønnow.

12'

Tietz again

The striker sends a header straight at Rønnow from inside the box. It was a fairly easy save for the Union goalkeeper, but Mainz are working their way into this game.

10'

Lively opening

We've had chances at both ends in an eventful opening in Berlin. The hosts have shaded possession so far, but only just...

Possession (%)

5248

Tietz denied

Moments later, Tietz is thwarted by Rønnow at the other end but the former Augsburg man was offside in the build-up - it wouldn't have counted anyway.

0:24

Watch: Just wide from Burcu

Agonisingly close to an opener for Union. Burke and Khedira link up well down the right-hand side and the Berlin midfielder manages to cut the ball back for Burcu, who drags his effort narrowly wide of the far post.

Opportunity missed

The hosts have a chance to counter after Hollerbach is dispossessed on the edge of the Union area, but Ilić's pass near the halfway line goes astray.

Early Union pressure

Mainz have some early defending to do as Haberer sends a looping ball into the visitors' penalty area. Fischer's team fail to clear the danger and Doekhi gets on the end of another teasing ball into the box, but the defender can't quite direct his header on target.

Off we go!

The home side get proceedings under way.

Kick-off!

Here come the teams!

Kick-off is just moments away...

0:29

Watch: Fischer welcomed back

Fond memories

Tietz, who joined Mainz from Augsburg earlier this month, has fond memories of the Stadion an der Alten Försterei, having scored his first senior goal here during his time at Bundesliga 2 side Eintracht Braunschweig. He has also struck twice against Die Eisernen in the Bundesliga.

Bitterly cold in Berlin

It's -2C in the German capital this afternoon - but the wintry weather hasn't stopped the game from going ahead.

More on that Mainz side

Fischer also makes three alterations to the Mainz team that held St. Pauli to a goalless draw. Bell (pictured) replaces the injured Hanche-Olsen in defence, while Potulski and Nebel drop out in place of Veratschnig and January signing Tietz.

More on that Union side

Baumgart makes three changes to the team that started the 1-0 victory over Cologne before the winter break. Ilić (pictured), Burcu and Haberer come in, replacing Ansah, Jeong and Trimmel, who drop to the bench.

0:37

Watch: Baumgart on pitch inspection duty

Starting line-up: 1. FC Union Berlin

Union subs

Raab, Nsoki, Trimmel, Juranović, Král, Schäfer, Jeong, Ljubicić, Ansah

Starting line-up: 1. FSV Mainz 05

Mainz subs

Rieß, Potulski, Nebel, Nordin, Maloney, Kawasaki, Sieb, Bøving, Weiper

0:22

Watch: Atmosphere building already in Berlin

3:22

Watch: Bundesliga action returns to Köpenick for 2026

Urs Fischer on facing Union

"Union have a clear structure and are organised. They play as a real unit and are solid defensively. Being a threat from counter-attacks is part of the team and the club's DNA. Forty percent of their goals have come from set pieces, so that's something we need to keep an eye on. We need to avoid giving away too many free-kicks and corners."

Steffen Baumgart on facing Mainz

"Everyone's fit apart from [Robert] Skov. We're very well prepared. We're looking forward to the game and we're pleased we have two more opportunities to pick up points before the halfway mark of the campaign. That's exactly what we want to do - the aim is to make a winning start to the new year."

Urs Fischer on returning to Union

"I have friends there, of course, but during the match I'll try to put that aside because it's about survival and securing important points. Once the referee blows the final whistle, I'm sure there will be time to say hello."

Urs Fischer on his first month in charge

"The first two weeks were really intense. We had four matches in 11 days, so there was very little time to work on details or really train properly. The main focus was on achieving a certain level of stability, and I think we managed that reasonably well. It was hectic and stressful, but the results were positive. That naturally made it enjoyable as well."

2:02

Watch: The stars’ winter break

This season’s winter break may have been slightly shorter than usual but the Bundesliga stars, as ever, made the most of their precious days off. Christmas and New Year were unsurprisingly the dominant themes of their social media posts, with crazy outfits aplenty on show in locations both sun-drenched and snow-covered, according to individual preference – while for some, the darts world championship in London was the only place to be. Come with us on an online winter tour.

2:01

Watch: All 25/26 Bundesliga free-kick goals so far

Head-to-head

Union have a fantastic record against Mainz, going unbeaten in the last eight meetings while also losing just one in the previous 13 match-ups. Mainz's last victory against the Iron Ones came in 2021 courtesy of a 1-0 triumph.

Early Union team news

Steffen Baumgart, meanwhile, is only without Robert Skov, who continues to struggle with a calf issue. Rani Khedira missed Union's friendly game against Aue with illness, but is expected to feature here.

Early Mainz team news

Urs Fischer is without several players for this encounter. William Bøving, Maxim Leitsch, Phillipp Mwene, Silas, Robin Zentner, Anthony Caci and Maxim Dal are all out, while Andreas Hanche-Olsen is a doubt with a muscle injury. However, there could be a first start for Tietz after his transfer.

Fresh faces

Mainz have brought in two new faces during the January transfer window. Silas joins from Stuttgart, while Phillip Tietz is an arrival from Augsburg.

Difficult start, but...

Mainz have managed only eight points this campaign, picking up just one win. It is their second-worst start to a Bundesliga campaign, and on only three occasions have a side with a single-digit number of points after 15 games stayed up. However, Mainz have done so twice - in 2020/21 and 2023/24 - so they will be confident they can turn it around once more.

Union aim to push on in 2026

The Irons Ones start the new year in eighth place in the Bundesliga, just five points adrift of the top six. A victory here would be the first time they have won three games in a row since August 2023 - when Fischer was still at the helm.

Oliver Burke on the scoresheet

First-half goals fired Union past third-tier Erzgebirge Aue in a 120-minute friendly. Aljoscha Kemlein scored inside nine minutes, with Burke doubling the capital club's advantage six minutes before half-time, though Aue's Maximilian Schmid did pull a goal back in the 108th minute.

Steady start

Fischer began his Mainz reign with draws against Lech Poznan and league leaders Bayern, before getting a first win over Samsunspor in the UEFA Conference League and drawing with Pauli in the Bundesliga.

Urs Fischer returns

Fischer spent five years as Union boss, guiding them into the Bundesliga and even the UEFA Champions League in the 2022/23 campaign. He oversaw more than 200 games as the capital club's head coach, guiding them to 11th-, 7th-, 5th- and 4th-place finishes before departing in November 2023.

2:03

Watch: Union 2-1 Mainz - previous meeting

Union took four of a possible six points from Mainz last season, drawing 1-1 away at the Mewa Arena before winning 2-1 in the capital.

2:03

Watch: Cologne 0-1 Union - highlights

Union followed up their impressive win over top-four contenders RB Leipzig by pinching three points off promoted Cologne. The capital club sit eighth after 15 games, five points outside the top six.

2:03

Watch: Mainz 0-0 St. Pauli - highlights

Mainz had the ignominy of being bottom of the Bundesliga at Christmas, but will be encouraged by a four-game unbeaten run in all competitions since Urs Fischer replaced Bo Henriksen as head coach. Back-to-back league draws against leaders Bayern Munich and fellow strugglers St. Pauli mean they're a surmountable four points behind the relegation play-off position, with 19 games still to play.

Hello and welcome!

Welcome along and thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of this Matchday 16 fixture between 1. FC Union Berlin and 1. FSV Mainz 05.

FCU Union Berlin 1. FC Union Berlin - M05 Mainz 1. FSV Mainz 05

Highlights

Vote for your Man of the Match!

Full-time: Union Berlin 2-2 Mainz

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes

Stoppage time approaching

Watch: Magnificent trickery

Union are level!

Marin Ljubicic

GOAL!

Substitution

Time for another twist?

Watch: Off the bar!

Substitution

Substitution

Substitution

Game on!

Wooyeong Jeong

GOAL!

Nearly 3-0!

Two more Union changes

Hollerbach strikes!

Substitution

Substitution

Benedict Hollerbach

GOAL!

Still time for Union

Double Union change

Substitution

Substitution

Close call

Ball Recovery Time

Doekhi cautioned

Yellow card

Clever routine

No way through

Calmness personified

Hollerbach lively

Back under way

Here come the visitors

What it means to Mainz...

Half-time: Union Berlin 0-1 Mainz

Into stoppage time

Watch: Burcu goes close

Off target

Union pressing

Let-off for Union

Five attempts each...

Pushing for an equaliser

Mainz strike first!

Nadiem Amiri

GOAL!

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes

Good effort!

Brief stoppage

Bell to the rescue

Haberer penalised

Mainz holding firm

First booking

Yellow card

Good defending

Settling down

Tietz again

Lively opening

Tietz denied

Watch: Just wide from Burcu

Opportunity missed

Early Union pressure

Off we go!

Here come the teams!

Watch: Fischer welcomed back

Fond memories

Bitterly cold in Berlin

More on that Mainz side

More on that Union side

Watch: Baumgart on pitch inspection duty

Starting line-up: 1. FC Union Berlin

Union subs

Starting line-up: 1. FSV Mainz 05

Mainz subs