Awoniyi Scores Ninth League Goal As Union Berlin Beat Leipzig

 

Union Berlin’s Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi (C) celebrates scoring the opening goal with his teammates during the German first division Bundesliga football match 1 FC Union Berlin v RB Leipzig in Berlin on December 3, 2021. Odd ANDERSEN / AFP

In-form Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi’s early goal set Union Berlin on the path to a 2-1 win over RB Leipzig on Friday, lifting them to fourth in the German Bundesliga.

This was Awoniyi’s ninth Bundesliga goal this season while the result leaves Leipzig still looking for an away win in the league.

Ahead of the rest of the weekend fixtures, Berlin climb to fourth on 23 points from 14 games.

Awoniyi pounced at the far post on six minutes to put Union 1-0 but Leipzig midfielder Christopher Nkunku levelled with a speculative shot from outside the box that bounced over the diving keeper on 13 minutes.

Union then grabbed the winner just before the hour mark when a shot from Max Kruse was deflected off teammate Timo Baumgartl and into the goal.

Leipzig, who are eighth in the table, face Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday but their hopes of making the last 16 are already over.

The weekend’s major clash comes Saturday when Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich.

Star Bundesliga strikers Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski go head-to-head with one point between the sides.

Haaland has scored 10 Bundesliga goals for Dortmund so far this season while Lewandowski has 14 goals for Bayern.

AFP