Union Berlin reach UEFA Europa League last 16 with play-off victory against Ajax

Union Berlin’s exceptional season produced one more phenomenal highlight as the Bundesliga side saw off Ajax to join Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League knockouts.

Union Berlin 3-1 Ajax (3-1 on agg)
Goals: 1-0 Knoche (pen.) 20′, 2-0 Juranovic 44′, 2-1 Kudus 47′, 3-1 Doekhi 50′

Level on points with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga, Union were keen to transfer some of that domestic magic into European glory. A scoreless draw against Ajax in the first leg in Amsterdam meant that the return at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei was finely balanced. The visitors’ taking an early grip of the game in the German capital had local fans worried, if only briefly. When Calvin Bassey’s arm came into contact with a Danilho Doekhi header inside the Ajax area, Urs Fischer’s side were awarded a penalty. Goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli got plenty on Robin Knoche’s subsequent spot-kick, but not enough to prevent the Berliners taking the lead. The Argentinian custodian would then play a key role in Union’s second, diving over a speculative Josip Juranovic effort from distance to put the Irons in command at the halfway point.

Ajax had no shots on target in the first leg, but the one they conjured at the start of the second half brought them back into the tie. Steven Bergwijn’s ball into the box caused all sorts of confusion in the home defence, allowing Mohammed Kudus to flick in for 2-1. The ensuing silence was short lived. A Juranovic corner from the left was met squarely by former Ajax youth academy product Doekhi, who powered a close-range header high into the net to spark further jubilation among the red-and-white ranks in Köpenick. Kudus could, and should have reduced the arrears again, but the 22-year-old smashed wide when well placed on the left. At the other end, Sheraldo Becker twice saw efforts well saved by Rulli as the home side looked to kill off the visiting challenge. The misses would matter little in the end, as Union made it one more night to remember in their remarkable recent history.

Match stats
Juranovic scored his first goal for Union since his winter switch to the German capital from Celtic.
Rotterdam-born Doekhi was with Jong Ajax from 2016-18.
Knoche has now scored six goals in all competitions this season. He last netted from the spot in the 2-1 Bundesliga win in Leipzig earlier this month.
Union are still in contention for three trophies this season, with the Irons also into the last eight of the DFB Cup.
Ajax youth product Becker has registered a single-season personal best eight goals and seven assists in all competitions so far in 2022/23.
Fischer, who turned 57 this week, has overseen 191 competitive games as Union coach (W87, D52, L52).
No team has managed as many as Union’s six clean sheets in this season’s Europa League.
Teams

Union: Ronnow – Doekhi, Knoche, Leite – Juranovic (Trimmel 90’+4), Haberer, Khedira (c), Laidouni (Thorsby 65′), Roussillon (Gießelmann 90’+4) – Becker (Leweling 85′), Behrens (Jordan 65′)
Unused subs: Grill, Stein, Jaeckel, Michel, Maciejewski, Kemlein
Out: Baumgartl (unconfirmed), Schäfer (foot)
Coach: Urs Fischer

Ajax: Rulli – Rensch (Francisco Conceicao 84′), Timber, Alvarez, Bassey – Berghuis, Klasssen (Brobbey 64′), Taylor – Kudus, Tadic (c), Bergwijn (Lucca 80′)
Unused subs: Stekelenburg, Pasveer, Wijndal, Sanchez, Grillitsch, Regeer, Fitz-Jim, Hato
Out: –
Coach: Johnny Heitinga

As it happened