With a win in the capital city derby against Hertha BSC, 1. FC Union shook the An der Alten Försterei stadium in east Berlin, which was sold out despite record corona numbers.

In an intense duel on Saturday evening in front of 22,012 spectators, the ironists defeated their playfully completely disappointing rival 2-0 (2-0).

Union climbed in the table of the Bundesliga in the international regions to fifth place with 20 points.

Hertha is 13th and only three points ahead of the relegation place with 13 points.

Taiwo Awoniyi took the lead in the eighth minute, while captain Christopher Trimmel (30th) increased for coach Urs Fischer's team before the break.

After three league games without a win without Max Kruse, the Unioners celebrated the prestigious victory in the derby, which Union has now won twice in the Bundesliga, and Hertha twice, when the former national player returned to match the preparation for the Conference League game on Thursday at Maccabi Haifa and once neither of them.

For the first time since the 1-0 win two years ago, however, both played against each other again in front of fans after the Unioners had received permission from the Berlin Senate to work at full capacity under 2-G conditions.

"I am happy and know that everyone is responsible for dealing with it," said Union President Dirk Zingler at Sky.

His players showed the fans great commitment right from the start in an intensely physical game that quickly ran through a major mistake by Marton Dardai in favor of the Unioners.

After a pass into the top by Nico Gießelmann, Hertha coach Pal Dardai's son did not hit the ball properly.

An opportunity that Unions Torgarant Awoniyi did not miss and, in the face of the 2400 Hertha fans, pushed Alexander Schwolow for the lead.

What lasted at the last derby in the Köpenick cult site until shortly before the end of the 1-0 victory at the time, became the start of the dream for the Iron and the derby test for the Herthaners, who last participated in the fifth capital derby in the Bundesliga seven points from four games had seen a slight upward trend.

Pal Dardai's team, in which striker Stevan Jovetic was missing after he tested positive for the corona virus again, fell into the trap of the tactically clever hosts again and again. At the center line at the latest, the Unioners made the rooms tight and Hertha lost the balls. However, Kruse and Grischa Prömel (22nd and 25th) failed to extend the lead. That made right-back Trimmel after a corner with a low shot from the right side diagonally through the Hertha penalty area into the far corner with his first goal of the season.

While a defender also met at Union, Hertha struggled for the first shot towards goal in the 37th minute by attacker Peter Pekarik.

In stoppage time of the first half, he even cheered with the Hertha team about his alleged 1: 2, but the video evidence showed: no goal, offside.

Then there was a break.

When the attempt to run up the guests was unsuccessful even after the break, Pal Dardai sent Kevin-Prince Boateng onto the field, among others.

Previously, the veteran counterpart on the Union side almost made it 3-0 - Schwolow saved with his fingertips.

The hosts remained dangerous even after that, Herthas was at least the effort not to deny.

But it can hardly be built on before the home game next Saturday against FC Augsburg, who are only one point worse.