BERLIN: Teenage defender Tom Rothe set up an early goal and scored late to seal a 2-0 win for Union Berlin at struggling newcomers Holstein Kiel.

The 19-year-old gave Union the perfect start, his pinpoint cross finding Aljoscha Kemlein in the box to head the Berliners in front after 18 minutes.

Kemlein’s goal was his debut strike for the top side and made the 20-year-old the first Union junior product to score in the Bundesliga.

With Kiel, who are yet to taste victory after their maiden promotion to the top flight in the summer, pushing on the counter, Rothe headed in a Laszlo Benes’ corner in the 89th minute.

The win was Union’s first away victory this season and sent them past Borussia Dortmund into fifth place on the table, three points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

In Sunday’s late game, two assists and a goal from Germany striker Marvin Ducksch helped Werder Bremen come from a goal down to win 4-2 at 10-man VfL Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg’s Tiago Tomas nudged the ball across the line to open the scoring but Mitchell Weiser’s brilliant karate kick goal in first-half injury time, set up by a Ducksch pass, gave Bremen hope.

Marco Gruell set up Felix Agu to score on 51 minutes, giving Bremen the lead and Ducksch put the visitors further in front from a Weiser assist just over a quarter of an hour later.

Wolfsburg’s Patrick Wimmer saw straight red just three minutes after coming on for a nasty challenge from behind on Gruell. Gruell got revenge shortly after, scoring Bremen’s fourth to put them on track to win despite a late Joakim Maehle consolation.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2024