Union Berlin Stuns Bayern Munich in Thrilling Encounter

Union Berlin approached their match against Bayern Munich with confidence, undeterred by the visitors’ perfect record at the start of the season. The home side nearly took the lead when Ilyas Ansah scored from a Tom Rothe header, but their celebration was cut short as VAR ruled Ansah offside.

Despite Bayern’s impressive form in the 2025-26 season, Steffen Baumgart’s team fought tenaciously, contesting every loose ball and frustrating Vincent Kompany’s squad. While Bayern enjoyed possession, they struggled to create meaningful scoring opportunities.

Union Berlin deservedly took the lead in the 27th minute after Bayern failed to clear a corner from Janik Harberer. The ball found its way to Doekhi, whose mis-hit shot spun through a crowd of players, ultimately slipping through the hands of an unusually shaky Manuel Neuer.

Bayern equalized just ten minutes later with their first shot on target. Luis Diaz displayed remarkable skill, saving a wayward pass from Josip Stanisic and turning to fire a shot into the roof of Fredrik Ronnow’s net from a tight angle.

After halftime, Union maintained their intensity, pressing their esteemed opponents and advancing forward, albeit without clear opportunities. Michael Olise had a chance to put Union ahead again, but his low shot was comfortably saved by Ronnow.

As the match progressed, Union adopted a more defensive approach, absorbing Bayern’s pressure while repelling their advances. The wing-backs, including starters Rothe and Harberer, as well as substitutes Josip Juranovic and Derrick Kohn, excelled in individual duels, forcing Bayern to recycle possession without breaking through.

Union’s resilience paid off late in the match when Olise’s foul on Kohn led to a free kick that found Doekhi again, who bundled the ball home to give Union a 2-1 lead with less than ten minutes remaining.

Bayern launched a desperate assault on Ronnow’s goal, and the pressure resulted in Harry Kane finally scoring, nodding in a cross from Oliver Bischof during injury time. This marked the first time Kompany’s side had failed to win a competitive match this season, a significant achievement for Baumgart and his committed players.

In a game featuring stars like Kane, Olise, and Diaz, few would have anticipated Doekhi to be the one scoring twice. Nevertheless, the Dutch defender has earned a reputation for netting crucial late goals from set pieces, and his second effort would have been the highlight of the match, were it not for Kane’s timely equalizer.

Neuer’s performance warrants scrutiny; the player long regarded as the gold standard for modern goalkeepers suffered an uncharacteristic lapse. The sight of him allowing such a weak shot to slip by would have seemed unimaginable only a few seasons ago, and this error cost Bayern their flawless start to the season.