Subotic strikes as Union beat Augsburg

Union Berlin 2-0 Augsburg
Goals: 1-0 Subotic (47'), 2-0 Ingvartsen (61')

Christopher Lenz sent in the first shot of the game five minutes in, forcing Tomas Koubek to get down to cover his left-hand post, while Augsburg's answer was a Philipp Max free-kick which cleared the wall and also the crossbar. A flurry of activity in the Augsburg penalty area had Koubek on alert as Lenz flashed his effort across goal, but with Felix Uduokhai winning almost 80 per cent of his challenges, Tin Jedvaj looking solid in his first outing for Augsburg at right full-back and Andre Hahn being kept off the ball, it was a first half dominated by defenders.

The second half continued that trend, albeit in an attacking perspective with Union centre-back Subotic opening his account for the capital club, tucking the ball in at the far post following a corner. Augsburg consequently had to shift their focus to attacking and Hahn headed one opportunity wide before the hosts took advantage of a new imbalance in their guests' ranks, Marcus Ingvartsen afforded too much time and space in the penalty area to fire in a second. Robert Andrich had a similar amount of time and space to add a third, but he lifted his effort over the crossbar as Union failed to turn the screw. A third was not needed, though, as Florian Niederlechner and Alfred Finnbogason both squandered chances as Augsburg drew a blank for the first time in ten games.

• Subotic scored his first Bundesliga goal in almost five years; his last came for Dortmund on 9 May 2015, in a 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin.
• Fifteen of Subotic's 16 Bundesliga goals have come from set-piece situations.
• All four of Ingvartsen's Bundesliga goals have come with his left foot.
• Keven Schlotterbeck made his first Bundesliga start since 29 November (2-1 defeat to Schalke), the day before Hahn last appeared in the Augsburg starting XI (1-1 draw in Cologne).
• Die Eisernen have kept five clean sheets at home this season, which is the most in the league.

Union: Gikiewicz - Friedrich, Subotic, Schlotterbeck - Trimmel (c), Gentner, Andrich (Kroos 79'), Lenz - Ingvartsen (Ryerson 86') - Andersson, Ujah (Bülter 72')
Unused subs: Nicolas, Polter, Malli, Hübner, Becker, Parensen
Out: Abdullahi (match fitness), Gogia (torn ACL), Mees (thigh), Prömel (match fitness), Schmiedebach (abdominal strain)
Coach: Urs Fischer 

Augsburg: Koubek - Jedvaj, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Max - Khedira (Löwen 70'), Baier (c) – Hahn, Richter, Vargas (Finnbogason 77') - Niederlechner
Unused subs: Luthe, Lichtsteiner, Pedersen, Suchy, Moravek, Sarenren Bazee, Gruezo
Out: Cordova (ankle), Framberger (thigh), Iago (international duty), Oxford (wisdom tooth), Schieber (muscular)
Coach: Martin Schmidt