European football: History-maker Eta’s first Union Berlin game ends in defeat

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Marie-Louise Eta’s landmark first match as interim head coach of Union Berlin ended in a 2-1 Bundesliga defeat at home to relegation-threatened Wolfsburg.

The 34-year-old Eta made history on Saturday when she became the first woman to take charge of a men’s team in one of the top five European leagues.

Union Berlin, who turned to Eta for the rest of the season after sacking Steffen Baumgart last weekend, fell behind to an 11th-minute goal from Patrick Wimmer.

‘Marie-Louise Eta Football Goddess UNVEU’

Second-bottom Wolfsburg doubled their advantage a minute into the second half when Christian Eriksen set up Dzenan Pejcinovic, before the former Nottingham Forest forward Oliver Burke halved the deficit late on.

Marie-Louise Etais hugged by club mascot Ritter Keule

Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric scored two penalties, including one deep in second-half stoppage time, to give the hosts a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund and gift the Bundesliga leaders, Bayern Munich, the chance to wrap up the title with a win or a draw over Stuttgart on Sunday.

Dortmund are on 64 points with four matches left, while Bayern are 12 points clear at the top and will win their second successive league crown.

Dortmund were on the back foot throughout the encounter with Kramaric converting a 42nd-minute penalty to give Hoffenheim a fully deserved lead. The visitors showed no signs of a comeback in the second half with Hoffenheim again in full control of the game, until Serhou Guirassy got the ball at the edge of the box and unleashed an unstoppable low drive to level.

Hoffenheim's Andrej Kramaric scores a penalty – he struck twice from the spot – against Borussia Dortmund

But Kramaric scored from the spot again in stoppage time, after a hand ball, to give the hosts the three points.Hoffenheim moved up to fifth place on 54, two behind fourth place, the last spot for a Champions League ticket next season.

Massimiliano Allegri said on Saturday that he was not interested in the vacant Italy job, the Milan coach saying that he was hoping to stay with the seven-time European champions. Allegri was quickly suggested, alongside Napoli coach Antonio Conte, as one of the favourites to replace Gennaro Gattuso who stepped down earlier this month after Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup. “My career speaks for itself: changing jobs often isn’t part of my DNA,” Allegri said before Sunday’s Serie A fixture at Verona.