In the final minutes, a shadow fell over a fabulous soccer game that VfL Bochum and Union Berlin had played at the end of the first half of the season.

It was intense, exciting and, in many phases, also very sophisticated.

While elsewhere the game was kicking again in front of ghost scenes, the more than 13,000 people in the small stadium on Castroper Strasse created a rousing Bundesliga atmosphere.

But in the last minutes of the game, which Union finally won 1-0 with a goal from Max Kruse, beer mugs were thrown at some Berliners, whereupon Kruse said in an interview with WDR2: “I have rarely seen such anti-social fans as here . “The Berlin offensive player was so annoyed that he continued to be angry later when editing his Instagram account.

Bochum was “always a friendly club,” he announced, and the vast majority of fans were “still friendly.

But today was another day when all Ruhrpott Asis gathered in Bochum. "

Urs Fischer had also quarreled with spectators, but didn't want to comment on the topic later by saying: “What happens in the stadium stays in the stadium.” The Berlin coach was just as uninterested in this as his Bochum colleague Thomas Reis fabulous soccer game and the impressive first half of both teams is dwarfed by a riot debate.

Because beyond the constant excitement at the big locations about coaches, about vaccinated or unvaccinated players and alleged change intentions of some stars, only excellent work is done in Köpenick and Bochum. The result is not a brilliant show that moves the masses in China or India, but really good sport. “The team really went to the limit again today, sometimes over the limit,” said Fischer. And in the final phase, the Berliners used a few tricks to save the lead over time, which resulted in the mug being thrown.

In the end, however, everyone was quite satisfied.

Despite the stresses and strains in the Conference League, 1. FC Union can look back on the second-best first half of its Bundesliga history.

On Saturday, the Berliners had played excellently, especially in the first half, in which Kruse scored his remarkable goal of the day.

After the break, VfL braced themselves with all their might against the impending defeat, had bad luck with a shot by Milos Pantovic on the lower edge of the crossbar.

Therefore coach Reis also spoke of a "great football game" in which only "luck was missing" and summed up after the first half of the season: "We are definitely on target."

Should Bochum collect another 20 points in the second half of the season, they will also play in the Bundesliga next year, 15 or 16 points will probably be enough.

Pantovic already announced: "After the winter break, we want to come back stronger."