Tennis balls and a historic milestone for Eta: Union Berlin snapped their winless run in Mainz.
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Marie-Louise Eta celebrated her first victory as head coach of 1. FC Union Berlin. The 34-year-old led the Iron Ones to a 3-1 (1-0) win over 1. FSV Mainz 05 on matchday 33 of the Bundesliga. Andrej Ilic put the visitors ahead in the 38th minute. Former Union player Sheraldo Becker (48th) equalized shortly after the break with a deserved strike. However, Oliver Burke (88th) and Josip Juranovic (90+1) sealed the historic success late in the game, marking the fourth match under Eta. She became the first woman to lead a Bundesliga club to victory.
**Overview**
Fixtures and standings from matchday 33 of the Bundesliga.
The match also saw a protest from Union Berlin supporters, who threw tennis balls onto the pitch in the first half, causing a multi-minute interruption. They demonstrated against Sunday game scheduling this season. Large red banners displayed messages such as “Season 25/26: 7,000 km on Sundays,” “Your scheduling remains a farce!” and “Make kickoff times fair.”
From a sporting perspective, the final match of the penultimate matchday was largely meaningless. Both clubs had already secured their top-flight status, and qualification for European competitions was out of reach for both Mainz and Berlin. Nevertheless, the game likely held special significance for Mainz coach Urs Fischer. The Swiss tactician managed Union from summer 2018 to November 2023, leading the club not only to its first-ever Bundesliga promotion but also to all three European competitions.
**Zentner Returns for Mainz 05 After Six Months**
Robin Zentner started in goal for the hosts for the first time since November 27. The goalkeeper had been sidelined for months due to an adductor injury, making his comeback just in time for the final home match of the season. Zentner replaced Daniel Batz, who was bid farewell by the club before kickoff. The 35-year-old, who opted not to extend his contract, was celebrated by fans with loud chants of “Daniel Batz.” Mainz also said goodbye to Armindo Sieb, Maxim Leitsch, and Niklas Tauer, whose contracts expire this summer.
Zentner was called into action early, making a strong reflex save to deny a header from Ilic in the 9th minute. Shortly after FSV defender Danny da Costa left the field injured in the 16th minute, Union fans caused a lengthy stoppage by throwing tennis balls. Despite the unscheduled break, the visitors remained the more active side and rewarded themselves through Ilic, who scored with a header. Zentner looked unconvincing on that occasion, missing the cross from assister Aljoscha Kemlein. Mainz offered little in attack for much of the first half.
That changed after the interval: Becker leveled the score with a perfectly delivered cross from Paul Nebel. In the 57th minute, the Nullfünfer celebrated again, but a spectacular goal from striker Phillip Tietz was disallowed after a VAR check for offside. Both teams then pushed for a winner but failed to score until the closing stages. Burke and Juranovic struck for the Köpenickers, ending a six-game winless streak.
