Leipzig defeated Union Berlin 3-1 in the Bundesliga on Friday, marking coach Marie-Louise Eta’s second consecutive loss since taking charge.
The match occurred amid accusations of sexism directed at Leipzig following a controversial social media post.
Max Finkgräfe, Romulo, and Ridle Baku scored for Leipzig, helping the team secure third place in the league and inch closer to Champions League qualification after achieving five straight wins.
Coach Eta’s Challenging Start
Marie-Louise Eta, who became the first female coach in the Bundesliga and any of Europe’s top five men’s leagues, faced her first match last weekend, resulting in a 2-1 defeat against relegation-threatened Wolfsburg.
Since her appointment, Eta has been subjected to a significant amount of sexist abuse online. The controversy escalated when Leipzig responded to a post from Union on X, which included photos of Eta with former Leipzig coach Marco Rose and players Dominik Szoboszlai and Emil Forsberg, accompanied by the phrase, ‘Your head coach didn’t just find the city pretty nice…’
Match Highlights
Union Berlin, led by Eta, is currently six points above the relegation zone, with upcoming matches against Cologne, Mainz, and Augsburg. In her post-match comments, Eta expressed optimism despite the challenges, stating, ‘We knew it would continue to be a tough path ahead, that we couldn’t expect to turn everything around overnight.’
During the match, Union fans protested against Leipzig’s existence by remaining silent for the first 15 minutes. Leipzig’s strong start saw them create multiple scoring opportunities, with Union goalkeeper Frederik Rønnow making key saves before Finkgräfe opened the scoring in the 22nd minute.
Match Developments
Romulo added a second goal shortly after, and Rønnow’s injury led to Carl Klaus making his Bundesliga debut at the age of 32. Klaus had to make immediate saves to keep Union in the game.
Despite improvements from Union after halftime, Leipzig extended their lead with a goal from Baku. Union’s Danilho Doekhi managed to score a consolation goal in the 77th minute, but a late effort from Ilyas Ansah was ruled offside, sealing the match at 3-1.