Urs Fischer's decision to take off Taiwo Awoniyi five minutes from time in their Bundesliga clash against RB Leipzig proved to be a masterstroke. The Nigerian's replacement helped Union Berlin come back from a goal down to seal a stunning 2-1 win.
The two sides met earlier in the week in the DFB Pokal semifinal, with Leipzig triumphing 2-1. Awoniyi played 77 minutes of the encounter but fired blanks.
Fischer stuck with his top scorer, though
Nonetheless, Union's manager Fischer named his leading scorer in the starting lineup for the Bundesliga clash against the same opponent they lost to on Wednesday.
However, Awoniyi fired blanks again, although he was still effective. The Nigerian international managed just one shot on target, while he also made two key passes from the 11 passes he completed.
No breakthrough in the first half
Leipzig were the favourites going into the game, but it was Union that came close to scoring. Fischer's men had eight shots, with two on target. In contrast, Leipzig had no shots in the opening half.
A different second half
However, the second half was a totally different game, with Leipzig starting on the front foot. The home side took the lead just a minute after the break, courtesy of a strike from Yussuf Poulsen.
But despite going a goal down, Union continued to threaten going forward. The away side were awarded a lifeline when the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty, only for it to be cancelled following a VAR review.
Union will not be stopped, though, thanks to Fischer's decision
The Iron Ones' persistence did eventually pay off, though. With five minutes to go, Fischer took off Awoniyi for Kevin Behrens and Sven Michel for Dominique Heintz.
The decision proved to be a genius as Michel restored parity for Union one minute after coming on before setting up Behrens for the winner three minutes later.
How things stand
The win lifts Union to sixth with 50 points, four points behind Leipzig in fourth place.