Berlin rivals Union flying, Hertha flailing in Bundesliga
Berlin's scorer Aissa Laidouni, right, and his teammate Sheraldo Becker, left, celebrate their side's fourth goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and SC Freiburg in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andreas Gora]
BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin is dreaming of the Champions League while Hertha Berlin faces the nightmare of relegation. The fortunes of the German capital’s Bundesliga clubs could hardly be more pronounced this season. Union was only promoted to the top division in 2019. It just needs to win one of its remaining two games to be virtually assured of qualifying for Europe’s top competition. It’s an astounding achievement for a team that was expected to fight for survival. Instead it’s city rival Hertha that looks set to drop down to the second division. Hertha’s seventh demotion will be confirmed if it doesn’t beat relegation rival Bochum at home on Saturday.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Berlin's Sheraldo Becker, right, wears a Spiderman mask after scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and SC Freiburg in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andreas Gora
Berlin's Rani Khedira, right, and Freiburg's Ritsu Doan, left, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Union Berlin and SC Freiburg in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andreas Gora