Union Berlin’s Courageous Effort Falls Short Against Real Madrid in Champions League Debu

Union Berlin came remarkably close to securing an impressive result in their debut Champions League match against Real Madrid, with only a little over a minute remaining before they suffered defeat. In the closing moments of the match, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, former Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham (20) scored the decisive goal, making it 1-0 for Union Berlin.

Union Berlin’s goalkeeper, Frederik Rönnow, delivered an exceptional performance against Real Madrid. Rönnow, at 31 years old, expressed the deep disappointment felt by the entire team, stating, “It’s very disappointing for the entire team. We performed well and had strong moments. Conceding a goal like that when you’ve held Real Madrid to a 0-0 draw at the Bernabeu for 93 minutes is disheartening.”

Nevertheless, Rönnow maintained a resilient perspective, noting, “In a day or two, we can reflect on this performance and take pride in it.”

Kevin Behrens (32) shared his thoughts on the late goal, saying, “You can concede a goal like that, and it’s very disappointing. The corner was taken short, followed by a long-range shot, and then a bit of a scramble before he poked it in.”

Despite the disappointment of conceding so late in the game, Behrens also recognized the positives, stating, “Of course, we are extremely disappointed to have played so well here and still lost. But I’m also proud that we competed so effectively, even if we didn’t create many scoring opportunities. We had a strong away performance against Real Madrid.”

Coach Urs Fischer (57) provided his perspective on the match, emphasizing the team’s efforts: “We did everything we could. For the first 30 minutes, it was an evenly matched game. We displayed discipline, maturity, and played with confidence and flair. However, we made some small mistakes which cost us possession, and Real Madrid capitalized. We had no room for error; Madrid exerted a lot of pressure on us.”

Fischer also conveyed his emotions after the game, stating, “Naturally, I’m disappointed. Missing out on a draw against Madrid by just a minute is understandable. Nevertheless, there’s a great deal of pride in the team’s performance.”