Sebastian Polter (3rd R) of Union Berlin celebrates his scoring with teammates and fans during German Bundesliga match against Hertha BSC in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Nov. 2, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Voigt/Xinhua)
BERLIN, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Sebastian Polter's last-grasp penalty secured newly promoted Union a 1-0 win over Hertha in Bundesliga's first-ever Berlin derby on Saturday.
Union assumed control from the kick off and pressed aggressively forward as Christoper Lenz rattled the woodwork by header before Christian Gentner headed into the arms of Hertha goalkeeper Rune Jarstein in the opening period.
The "Eisernen" continued to put their local rivals Hertha on the back foot. Meanwhile, the visitors focused on their defence and were successful to drown Union's attacks in the midfield as the match progressed.
Ante Covic's men posed no threat though as they lacked in ideas to overcome Union's well positioned defence in the first 45 minutes.
After the break, both teams staged a cautious start into the second half hence clearcut chances were at premium at both ends of the pitch.
The spectators at the Alte Forsterei had to wait until the closing stages before they could see some action as Dedryck Boyata brought down Gentner inside the box. The referee pointed to the spot and confirmed his decision after watching the replay.
Substitute Polter stepped up and made no mistake to slot home the 1-0 winner in the dying minutes of the game. Hertha's Jarstein tipped the ball but was unable to defuse the fulminant shot from Polter.
"It is a bitter defeat for us especially because we lost due to a late penalty. We failed to gain a foothold into the derby," Hertha head coach Covic said.
"The win was a teamwork effort. The boys implemented our strategy. We played very well in the first half whilst the second half was an evenly-balanced affair. In the end, I think we grabbed a deserved win," said Union head coach Urs Fischer.
With the win, Union record their first-ever first division Bundesliga derby and climb on the 13th position of the table while Hertha stay on the 11th place.
The following games conclude the 10th round on Sunday: Fortuna Dusseldorf host Cologne and bottom side Augsburg face Schalke.
