Union sink second-placed Leipzig to climb in Bundesliga / Photo: Odd ANDERSEN - AFP
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Union sink second-placed Leipzig to climb in Bundesliga
Goals from Oliver Burke and Ilyas Ansah sealed a 3-1 home win for Union Berlin on Friday to deny RB Leipzig the chance to close the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.
Second-placed Leipzig arrived in Berlin hoping to move five points behind Bayern who host rock bottom Mainz on Sunday.
But the visitors were overrun by the underdog Berliners and are under threat from third-placed Borussia Dortmund who are just one point behind and travel to Freiburg on Sunday.
Burke and Ansah scored either side of a goal for Leipzig's Tidiam Gomis in a wild seven-minute spell midway through the second half. Tim Skarke added another for the hosts in stoppage time.
The victory took Union seven points clear of the relegation spots into eighth and means Bayern can extend their lead atop the table to 11 points with a win against Mainz.
The hosts greeted Leipzig with a now customary 15-minute silent protest to open the match along with banners criticising their lack of tradition.
Founded in 2009 and owned by Austrian energy drink company Red Bull, Leipzig's ownership structure is viewed by some traditionalist fans as circumventing German football's rules requiring members control of clubs.
Leipzig and Union are the only clubs from the former East Germany in the top flight.
Leipzig had put six goals past Eintracht Frankfurt in their last match but chances were scarce for either side in the opening half.
Burke broke the deadlock with 57 minutes gone. The Scotland international collected a Jeong Woo-yeong pass and shifted to his left, curling a shot into the corner.
Leipzig levelled things up almost immediately, teenage forward Gomis scoring his first goal in Leipzig colours just two minutes after coming on.
The visitors' celebrations were short lived when Union captain and veteran Christopher Trimmel lofted a perfect cross to Ansah who headed the hosts back in front.
E.Heinen--JdB
