Bochum Stuns Union Berlin 4-3 in Vital Bundesliga Relegation Clash

Union Berlin, who recently played Real Madrid in the Champions League, suffered a 4-3 defeat at home to Bochum. Bochum defender Maximilian Wittek scored twice, and Union coach Nenad Bjelica made several changes during halftime. Despite a comeback attempt, Union was unable to equalize. The team's future is uncertain, and coach Bjelica's future is being questioned. Bochum moved three points ahead of Union, while Union could potentially fall into a relegation playoff spot.

Union Berlin, which played Real Madrid in the Champions League this season, edged closer to Bundesliga relegation on Sunday with a 4-3 loss at home to fellow struggler Bochum.

Bochum defender Maximilian Wittek scored twice in a game for the first time, before Keven Schlotterbeck made it 3-0 in the 37th. Schlotterbeck didn't celebrate scoring against his former club.

Union coach Nenad Bjelica reacted with three changes at the break, sending on Yorbe Vertessen, Brenden Aaronson and Chris Bedia for Kevin Volland, Kevin Vogt and Lucas Tousart.

Vertessen pulled one back in the 59th, three minutes before Bedia got Union's second, but Bochum's Philipp Hofmann was left free to head the visitors' fourth in the 70th.

Aaronson did brilliantly to elude a defender before setting up Benedict Hollerbach for Union's third in the 74th, but the home team was unable to grab an equaliser.

Union, which was only promoted to the Bundesliga in 2019, played in the Champions League this season after an unlikely fourth-place finish last year. Summer transfers did not have the desired effect and the team let long-time favourite coach Urs Fischer go in November. Before kickoff Sunday, Union president Dirk Zingler denied reports that the club was set to dismiss Fischer's replacement, Bjelica, at the end of the season.

''Bjelica has our full support,'' Zingler said. ''The season we've played hasn't been a good one. That has nothing to do with Bjelica, but with the first half of the season. We didn't play well then. As a club, we didn't deliver.'' Bochum (33 points) moved three points ahead of Union, which could yet finish the day in the relegation playoff spot if Mainz (28) beats Heidenheim in the late game.

Also later, Bundesliga champion Bayer Leverkusen was hoping to stretch its unbeaten 48-game start to the season at Eintracht Frankfurt, where it was without suspended coach Xabi Alonso. AP SSC SSC

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