Preview: 1. FC Köln v. 1. FC Union Berlin
RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne
Monday, August 13
2:30 p.m. EDT, 20:30 CEST
- Referee: Daniel Schlager
- This Match, Last Time: Köln 4 - 0 Union Berlin (November 4, 2013)
- All-Time: 5 Köln wins, 1 Union win, 0 draws
- Union's League Form: W-D-L-W-W // W
- Köln's League Form: L-D-L-L-L // W
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| Köln are on pace for 102 points this season. |
Conventional wisdom this off-season has dictated that Köln are going to run away with the title and its automatic promotion back to the Bundesliga. They've got financial resources that most clubs at this level can barely dream of (hey, they were playing in Europe last year.) They've retained their core of players. While a 100% record would be a huge ask, it's been bandied around, albeit half-jokingly.
That means, on paper, this is Union's toughest fixture of the season, Köln away. This is a game Arsenal lost last year (a Europa League dead rubber isn't exactly equivalent to a league fixture, but that's still a statement of fact.)
But, as I said, there might be some good news here. It's probably best to get this fixture out of the way as quickly as possible, especially before Köln are able to get on any sort of run of form. Everybody plays everybody else home and away. Every other team will have to play Köln away at some point. Playing them in their home opener might not be ideal, in terms of crowd... feistiness, but getting this fixture out of the way while they are still adjusting to a new manager could be ideal.
Of course, Union are also adjusting to a new manager, so that could just cancel out. But again, that's why they don't play these games on paper.
Team News
Out: Polter (Achilles,) Schönheim (knee)
Only the long-term injured remain on the absentee list for Union; Transfermarkt suggests Sebastian Polter's return will be late September, while center back Fabian Schönheim's return is listed as being at the end of this month. Polter's been out since early March; Schönheim since late October.
As for the expected starting XI, we'll see if Urs Fischer does anything to address the lack of creative spark last weekend's starting XI had. Bear in mind though that, with this being the most difficult fixture of the season on paper, making a bunch of attacking changes to the line-up could be a death wish.
So, has Felix Kroos earned his way back into the XI after his heroics off the bench against Aue? If so, I think it'll be for Grischa Prömel if it's going to be like for like. If Fischer opts for a more defensive midfield, then it could be at the expense of Marcel Hartel.
How about up top? Do the impact subs in attack get a crack at the XI? Do Simon Hedlund and/or Joshua Mees come in for Akaki Gogia and/or Kenny Prince Redondo?
It's hard to know what a new manager will decide in a fixture like this, so any guesswork is a bit like picking names out of a hat, isn't it? Plus, Union have a Pokal tie at Jena coming next weekend that could allow for some rotation. That said, let's give this a whirl...
Predicted XI: Gikiewicz; Trimmel, Friedrich, Parensen, Reichel; Schmiedebach, Kroos, Hartel; Hedlund, Gogia, Andersson.
In terms of Köln's absentees, center back Jorge Meré will be suspended after being sent off for two yellow cards against Bochum last week. Central midfielder Marco Höger is out with a separated shoulder.
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| Here's a picture of Polter training that's actually from a few weeks ago, so, hey, progress! |
As for the expected starting XI, we'll see if Urs Fischer does anything to address the lack of creative spark last weekend's starting XI had. Bear in mind though that, with this being the most difficult fixture of the season on paper, making a bunch of attacking changes to the line-up could be a death wish.
So, has Felix Kroos earned his way back into the XI after his heroics off the bench against Aue? If so, I think it'll be for Grischa Prömel if it's going to be like for like. If Fischer opts for a more defensive midfield, then it could be at the expense of Marcel Hartel.
How about up top? Do the impact subs in attack get a crack at the XI? Do Simon Hedlund and/or Joshua Mees come in for Akaki Gogia and/or Kenny Prince Redondo?
It's hard to know what a new manager will decide in a fixture like this, so any guesswork is a bit like picking names out of a hat, isn't it? Plus, Union have a Pokal tie at Jena coming next weekend that could allow for some rotation. That said, let's give this a whirl...
Predicted XI: Gikiewicz; Trimmel, Friedrich, Parensen, Reichel; Schmiedebach, Kroos, Hartel; Hedlund, Gogia, Andersson.
In terms of Köln's absentees, center back Jorge Meré will be suspended after being sent off for two yellow cards against Bochum last week. Central midfielder Marco Höger is out with a separated shoulder.
Current Form
While this will be the normal spot in the match preview where the form of both clubs is discussed, there really isn't anything to say here for this one. Things are very different from last season for both of these clubs and their form for the start of the 2. Bundesliga campaign this season reads just as "one win." Köln were, of course, a little more impressive in their victory than Union were, but that's not really surprising either.
While this will be the normal spot in the match preview where the form of both clubs is discussed, there really isn't anything to say here for this one. Things are very different from last season for both of these clubs and their form for the start of the 2. Bundesliga campaign this season reads just as "one win." Köln were, of course, a little more impressive in their victory than Union were, but that's not really surprising either.
Match Facts
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| I'm as surprised as you are that I was even able to find a picture of this scoreline... |
It might not surprise you, then, that RheinEnergieStadion has not been a happy hunting ground for Union; in three matches there, they've lost by a combined scoreline of 13-0.
Köln have won twice at Alte Försterei as well, but Union do have one victory to their credit, on a Friday night in September of 2012. Köln scored in the third minute of that one, but Carlos Silvio and Torsten Mattuschka scored for the hosts, giving Union a 2-1 win.
Across all six previous meetings, Union have been outscored 19-3.
The Referee
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| This makes his look like a priest, doesn't it? |
As far as I can tell, he has never worked a Köln first-team match, though their U19 squad has two wins from two with him as the referee.
Around the Zweite Liga
- Friday FC Ingolstadt 04 v. SpVgg Greuther Fürth; Audi-Sportpark, Ingolstadt
- Friday: SC Paderborn 07 v. SSV Jahn Regensburg; Benteler-Arena, Paderborn
- Friday: FC St. Pauli v. SV Darmstadt 98; Millerntor-Stadion, Hamburg
- Saturday: MSV Duisburg v. VfL Bochum; Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg
- Saturday: Arminia Bielefeld v. Dynamo Dresden; SchücoArena, Bielefeld
- Sunday: SV Sandhausen v. Hamburger SV; BWT-Stadion am Hardtwald, Sandhausen
- Sunday: Holstein Kiel v. 1. FC Heidenheim; Holstein-Stadion, Kiel
- Sunday: FC Erzgebirge Aue v. 1. FC Magdeburg; Erzgebirgsstadion, Aue
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