Union Berlin hold Dortmund 0-0 as Lustrinelli praises defensive recovery

Union Berlin held Borussia Dortmund to a 0-0 draw in Berlin on 17 October, giving Union a second successive clean sheet after a difficult start to the season. Coach Mauro Lustrinelli and goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow said work on the team’s defending during the international break had helped produce the result.

The point also put Dortmund provisionally top of the Bundesliga on 14 points, Reuters reported. Freiburg were one point behind with a match against Bayer Leverkusen still to play; Bayern Munich, on 11 points, were due to face RB Leipzig later on Saturday.

How Union Berlin steadied its defence

‘I am very satisfied with the team’s work,’ Lustrinelli said, according to Bulinews. ‘They worked together and tried until the end to win the game. It’s a nice 0-0 for us.’ His assessment reflected both Union’s stronger defending and its attempt to take all three points.

Rönnow said Union had used the break to work on stability because it had conceded too many goals in its opening games. In a post-match interview quoted by Bulinews and attributed to Union’s website, the goalkeeper said the side had delivered another solid team performance. ‘We are pleased with the point, but we want to stay focused,’ he said.

Dortmund’s draw and Karetsas injury

Reuters reported that Dortmund lacked attacking spark in the first half and improved after the interval, but could not turn that improvement into a goal. The result was their second consecutive league draw and extended their winless run across competitions to three matches, following a 1-0 Champions League defeat at Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday.

Dortmund also lost Konstantinos Karetsas to an ankle injury. He came on in the 62nd minute and went off eight minutes later, Reuters reported. It was his return after a September collapse that the club had attributed to ‘circulatory problems’.