RS Fischer’s team broke a 12-match losing streak by drawing 1-1 against Napoli on Wednesday, providing strong competition against the Italian champions League .
Union Berlin is at the bottom of Group C, trailing Napoli in second place by six points, and the possibility of reaching the knockout stage seems unlikely. However, disruptive fans heightened the excitement, engaging in clashes with the police and home supporters at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium ahead of the match.
Napoli, with their victory and progress to the knockout stage, will have taken a significant step, and they appeared prepared to do so when Matteo Politano converted the opener for the home team in the 39th minute.
In contrast, Rudi Garcia’s team is two points behind the group leaders Real Madrid, who could qualify with a home win against Braga on Wednesday.
Napoli, who asserted their dominance in the match but struggled to break down Union’s defense, is still in a strong position to qualify as they are four points ahead of Braga.
However, they will face Madrid in their next match, and now there will be more anxiety as they try to advance out of the group alongside Braga in their final group match in Naples.
Wednesday’s match was preceded by disarray among Napoli fans in the city on Tuesday when police arrested 11 Germans after they clashed with nearly 300 Union ultras, similar to the rioting by Eintracht Frankfurt fans in the city in March.
Tensions continued before and during the match, with incidents outside the stadium, scuffles, and Napoli fans setting off fireworks in the distance during the first half of the match, celebrating Union’s historic point.
