Berlin is often overlooked as a football city. Not this weekend. For the first time in over two years the Olympiastadion was sold out and singing, but it was the only aspect of sporting life in the capital that looked different. With nearly 75,000 stuffed into the old stadium and a level of fervour that is not always the calling card of Berlin and its football, its most bankable name, Hertha, wasn’t quite up to the moment – not for the first time this season.
It was the substantial visiting support that enjoyed their afternoon, with an estimated 15,000 in the red and white of Union bathing in the glory of an emphatic 4-1 derby win. “The fans made it a home game again,” said Grischa Prömel, who headed the team’s second goal and was tin tears after his last derby before leaving for Hoffenheim in the summer. “It’s just nice to beat Hertha three times and be city champions for a reason.”
