FREIBURG, Germany — Matheo Raab overcame a hand injury to make a decisive last-minute save on his Bundesliga debut as Union Berlin held on for a 1-0 win at Freiburg on Sunday.
The stand-in goalkeeper hurt his right hand in added time when he collided with Freiburg’s Bruno Ogbus while attempting to punch away a high ball. Union had already used all its substitutions, leaving Raab to finish the match.
Raab told DAZN he initially felt only pain but knew there was no option to replace him. He put his glove back on, played through the injury and used the same hand to make an acrobatic diving stop from Niklas Beste’s curling shot.
Jeong Woo-yeong had given Union the lead with a low finish earlier in added time. Raab’s intervention then protected the advantage through the closing moments.
Regular starter Frederik Ronnow’s injury gave Raab his first Bundesliga appearance since joining Union in July. The goalkeeper said adrenaline carried him through after waiting so long for the opportunity.
The result lifted Union two places to ninth, one position behind Freiburg.
Undav Punishes Leipzig Goalkeeping Error
Deniz Undav scored in a fifth consecutive Bundesliga match as Stuttgart defeated Leipzig 1-0 and strengthened its push for Champions League qualification.
Leipzig goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt made the decisive mistake in the 56th minute, passing directly to Stuttgart’s Chris Führich despite facing little pressure. Führich found Undav, who scored his 16th league goal of the season.
Only Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane has scored more Bundesliga goals than Undav this season.
Stuttgart survived a late scare when an unmarked Willi Orban headed past Alexander Nübel in added time. The ball struck the post before Stuttgart cleared it.
The win strengthened Stuttgart’s hold on fourth place and opened a three-point advantage over fifth-place Leipzig. Stuttgart is unbeaten in five league matches.
Mainz Move Away From Relegation Places
Mainz climbed to 13th and gained ground in the relegation fight with a 2-0 victory at Werder Bremen.
Paul Nebel scored with a diving header early in the first half before Lee Jae-song converted from close range following a low cross early in the second. Bremen remains 15th.