Union assert derby supremacy

Hertha Berlin 0-2 Union Berlin
Goals: 0-1 Doekhi 44' (assist: Trimmel), 0-2 Seguin 67' (assist: Becker)

The city rivals began the weekend at opposite ends of the table, with Union second and Hertha second-bottom, but it was the lowly hosts who looked more threatening early on. The Union rearguard were forced to make a couple of timely blocks from Suat Serdar and Lucas Tousart, while Wilfried Kanga couldn't quite get on the end of an acrobatic attempt. Clear-cut chances were at a premium in a hard-fought first half, although Marco Richter finally got a sight of goal just after the half-hour, thundering over after a clever backheel from Dodi Lukebakio. Union were mainly limited to counter-attacks and set pieces, but dead ball situations have been one of their biggest weapons this season. And so it proved again, as Doekhi rose above the crowd to power in a header from captain Christopher Trimmel's free-kick, and give Union the lead against the run of play before half-time.

The game settled into a similar pattern in the second half, with Union happy to defend their one-goal lead and an increasingly frustrated Hertha looking to level things up. Richter tried his luck with a long-range lob that was way off target, before the visitors struck a killer blow on 67 minutes. Sheraldo Becker turned Peter Pekarik brilliantly and sprinted clear on the counter, unselfishly teeing up substitute Seguin for a simple finish. The VAR double-checked that Rani Khedira hadn't fouled birthday boy Marc-Oliver Kempf in the build-up – which would have meant a Hertha penalty – but the goal stood. Union keeper Frederik Ronnow still had to make a couple of smart saves to deny Tousart and Richter in the closing stages, but the visitors saw it out comfortably to win their fourth straight Bundesliga derby.

• Doekhi has scored four goals in the Bundesliga this season, all of them headers. Only Werder Bremen's Niclas Füllkrug has managed to nod in as many goals this term.
• Trimmel is Union's top assist provider this term with five, including three for Doekhi in January alone. The Dutchman scored two headers from Trimmel corners in the 3-1 win over Hoffenheim on Matchday 16.
• Seguin netted only his second Bundesliga goal. His first also came against Hertha, with Wolfsburg, back in December 2016.
• Union have scored 10 times from set pieces this season, more than any other Bundesliga side. They also have the highest number of headed goals (12).
• Hertha were beaten only three times in the first nine Bundesliga games of the campaign, but they have since lost seven of their last nine.
• Union kept their first clean sheet in eight league games, since their 2-0 win at home to Borussia Dortmund in mid-October.

Watch: Doekhi: "It's amazing to win the derby!"

Hertha: Christensen - Pekarik (Boateng 77'), Uremovic, Kempf, Plattenhardt (c) - Tousart - Boetius (Niederlechner 69'), Serdar - Lukebakio, Kanga (Ngankam 61'), Richter
Unused subs: Ernst, Mittelstädt, Dardai, Sunjic, Scherhant, Eitschberger
Out: Ejuke (knee), Jarstein (not considered), Jovetic (muscular), Kenny (concussion), Nsona (knee), Rogel (suspended)
Coach: Sandro Schwarz

Union: Ronnow - Doekhi, Knoche, Leite – Trimmel (c), Schäfer (Seguin 46'), Khedira, Haberer (Haraguchi 89'), Roussillon (Gießelmann 70') - Becker (Michel 84'), Behrens (Jordan 70')
Unused subs: Grill, Jaeckel, Juranovic, Leweling
Out: Thorsby (operation)
Coach: Urs Fischer