Köln held most of the ball and earned a point at Union Berlin

Janik Haberer's early goal gave Union Berlin the lead before Malek El Mala levelled for 1. FC Köln late on, in a game where the visitors had most of the ball but needed one chance to get back level.

Union Berlin led early through Janik Haberer, then spent most of the afternoon without the ball. 1. FC Köln finished with 63% of possession, well above the 48.4% they average on their travels, while Union held 37% against their usual 42% at home. Possession flatters the side that has it, so the real question is what Köln did with it.

Haberer's goal, set up by Tim Skarke, came in the tenth minute and was the first real moment of the match. Union managed only five shots in the whole game, far below the 11.7 they usually take at home, and only two of those came from inside the box. A side without the ball rarely gets much from its attack, and this one still took the lead from very little.

Köln's chances were of a different kind. They took 12 shots, and nine of them came from inside the box, where a shot is far more likely to go in. Their expected goals figure, a score for how good each chance was based on where and how it was taken, came to 1.05. That sits slightly under the 1.14 they average away from home, so they created roughly their normal amount of danger without clearly beating it.

The turning point came late. Alessio Castro-Montes found Malek El Mala, who finished in the 79th minute and earned a rating of 8.0 for it. Köln scored only once, which is close to the 1.1 goals they average away, but on this day one goal was enough to take a point. Only two of their shots were on target, so the equaliser came from a narrow margin.

Union's defence did more than its shape suggested. They conceded just one goal, against the 2.6 they usually concede at home, and Köln's expected goals were a touch above the 1.01 Union normally allow. The chances were roughly what Union usually face, but fewer of them went in. Union were booked four times and Köln three, and nobody was sent off.

Union's attack also ran below its usual level. Their expected goals figure was a little short of their home norm, and their scoring was close to the 0.9 they average in front of their own supporters. Haberer's goal was the only lead they had, and it stood for 69 minutes before El Mala's answer.

Union Berlin sit 17th in the table with six points from seven games, while 1. FC Köln are 14th with eight from the same number of matches.

Player of the matchM. El Mala1 goal8.0

A. Castro-Montes1 assist7.3

J. Haberer1 goal7.3

T. Krauß4 duels won7.2