Taiwo Awoniyi was on parade as Union Berlin came from a goal down to inflict a 2-1 defeat on their DFB Pokal nemesis Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday.
Leipzig had pulled off a similar trick in midweek on the same grounds when the two sides met in the German Cup, coming from a goal deficit to win 2-1 and knock out Union in the competition’s semis.
But it was the Iron Ones’ turn to laugh loud as goals from Sven Michel and Kevin Behrens in the last four minutes of regulation time overturned Yussuf Poulsen’s 46th-minute opener for Leipzig.
Awoniyi made two key passes, had a shot on target, completed 100 percent of his attempted dribbles, and won four of his ten duels before being replaced by game-changer Sven Michel in the 85th minute.
Michel scored Union’s equaliser a minute after his introduction and assisted Behrens’ winner three minutes later to secure the Berliners’ fifth away win of the campaign.
In the Italian Serie A, Ola Aina was an unused sub as Torino dispatched Spezia 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico Grande to tighten their grip on 11th position on the league table.
Two goals from Sasa Lukic handed Il Toro their 11th win of the league campaign with just five matches left.
At the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo, David Okereke endured a difficult afternoon as his Venezia were taken to the cleaners by visiting Atalanta.
Mario Pasalic, Duvan Zapata, and Luis Muriel were all on the scoresheet for Atalanta as they made away with a 3-1 victory.
