Union Berlin power past Frankfurt 2-0 to tighten hold on third spot

BERLIN : Union Berlin powered past Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 with second-half goals from captain Rani Khedira and substitute Kevin Behrens on Sunday to tighten their hold on third place in the Bundesliga and leave their opponents outside the top four.

Khedira benefited from a lucky bounce in the box and drilled in for the lead in the 53rd minute after Eintracht, fresh from their midweek Champions League round-of-16 exit to Napoli, had dominated the first half and wasted a string of good chances.

But it was Union who were the better side after the break and they put the ball in the net a second time in the 68th only for Sheraldo Becker's effort to be ruled offside.

There was nothing irregular with Behrens's superb effort in the 75th, when he latched on to a deep kick from Union keeper Frederik Ronnow, muscled past two defenders and slotted the ball through the legs of Eintracht's Kevin Trapp.

The result lifted Union to 48 points in third place, three ahead of RB Leipzig and Freiburg, and stretched their unbeaten run at home in the Bundesliga to 18 straight games.

It was Frankfurt's fourth straight league game without a win, leaving them stuck in sixth place on 40 points, well outside a top-four finish and Champions League spot for next season.

Borussia Dortmund lead the standings on 53 points with Bayern Munich, in second on 52, taking on Bayer Leverkusen later on Sunday.