Union Berlin’s Benedict Hollerbach thanks Jonas Urbig for the “gift” of scoring against Bayern | OneFootball

Saturday’s surprise 1-1 Bundesliga draw between relegation threatened Union Berlin and league leaders FC Bayern Munich had some special significance for Union striker Benedict Hollerbach. Union’s leading goal-scorer snatched a point away from his former academy side. A native of nearby Stamberg, Hollerbach trained at the Bayern campus for five years between 2014 and 2019.

Hollerbach’s general story continues to amaze. When former FCU managing director Oliver Ruhnert prepared Union for Champions League football ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, several bigger names were brought in. Attackers such as Kevin Volland, Brenden Aaronson, Mikkel Kaufmann, and David Datro Fofana proved flops. Over the winter break, strikers Chris Bedia and Yorbe Verteseen were brought in to no avail.

Hollerbach – purchased from 3. Liga side SV Wehen Wiesbaden for a mere €2m – ended up being the team’s leading striker (five goals and five assists) in last year’s difficult campaign. This year, the 23-year-old – very much still aware of the horrors of last year –  has at least already equaled his previous scorer point total, netting seven goals and contributing three assists.

Twelve goals is an impressive haul for a player who made the leap directly from the third division to the first. Of all the goals Hollerbach has scored, however, none came as easy as the one he turned in Saturday. A bad error from rookie FCB keeper Jonas Urbig effectively placed the ball at his feet.

Hollerbach described Urbig’s mishandle of a slightly deflected Josip Juranovic cross as “Wie eine reife Pflaume vom Baum”. That literally translates to a “a ripe plum falling from the tree”.

Idiomatic translations with some creative license include “a ripened pair”, “mana from heaven”, “pennies from heaven”, or a “gift from the Gods”. This article will go with a “ripe for the taking”.

“Of course I owe a lot to Bayern, but of course I’m happy when I score a goal like that,” Hollerbach told Sky Germany. “When the ball dropped to me ripe for the taking I was very, very happy and then calmly put it away.

“I don’t want to disrespect the other team [particular Urbig], but it was a gift for me,” Hollerbach continued. “I was very happy that it [the ball] was lying at my feet.“

GGFN | Peter Weis