The Result Has A Second Meaning
Union Berlin claimed their first victory since March, a 3-1 win over Mainz that carried far more weight than three points. It marked the first win for Marie-Louise Eta in her fourth game as interim head coach—and with it, she became the first female head coach to secure a victory in any of Europe's top five men's leagues.
The atmosphere at the stadium turned briefly unusual when Union fans tossed tennis balls onto the field in protest against league scheduling. Play resumed after several minutes.
The table did the dramatic work without asking anyone to dress it up.
Eta took over after Steffen Baumgart was dismissed last month. Before Sunday, her record showed one draw and two losses. She addressed her achievement with characteristic restraint when speaking to DAZN: "The way it happened was great too, how we managed to pull it off."
She has already accepted the role of coaching Union's women's team for next season, meaning her time with the men's side concludes after next week's final fixture against Augsburg. That match will also close the Bundesliga season for Union.
The Part Worth Keeping
Mainz, managed by former Union coach Urs Fischer, remains in 10th place.
In Sunday's other Bundesliga result, Freiburg—a Europa League finalist ahead of their May 20 clash with Aston Villa—fell 3-2 at Hamburger SV. Igor Matanovic scored twice for the visitors, but goals from Luka Vušković and Fabio Baldé, plus Bakery Jatta's opener, sealed the comeback win for Hamburg, who moved up to 11th.
The relegation picture tightened considerably. Heidenheim's 3-1 victory over Cologne lifted them to 17th, leaving them level on points with 16th-place Wolfsburg and 18th-place St. Pauli. Midfielder Jan Schöppner ended a six-month goal drought with two strikes. All three clubs face decisive fixtures next week: Wolfsburg hosts St. Pauli while Heidenheim welcomes Mainz. The bottom two teams face automatic relegation, with 16th entering a two-leg promotion-relegation playoff.