Preview: 1. FC Union Berlin v. MSV Duisburg
Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Berlin
Friday, September 14
12:30 p.m. EDT, 18:30 CEST
- Referee: Michael Bacher
- This Match, Last Year: Union Berlin 0 - 0 Duisburg
- All-Time in All Competitions: 9 Union Berlin wins, 5 Duisburg wins, 6 draws
- Union Berlin's League Form: W-W // W-D-W-D
- Duisburg's League Form: D-W // L-L-L-L
It's felt like ages since Union have played, thanks to the international break, and it feels like ages since Union have scored a goal, thanks to the scoreless draw at Sandhausen two weeks ago. But it's been an even longer wait for Duisburg, the visitors to Alte Försterei tonight, as they haven't scored a 2. Bundesliga goal all season.
There are no easy games in this division, as Union could tell you. The last time Union beat a team sitting in 16th or worse in the table at the time of the match was a 3-1 win over Greuther Fürth on October 21. They lost at 16th place Heidenheim last year, at 18th place Kaiserslautern, drew 0-0 with Aue in Berlin when they were 16th, and lost badly at 17th place Darmstadt.
Of course, it's different to play teams at the bottom of the table in April and May, when they are fighting for their lives, versus playing them now, in September, when the ship could still be righted.
But it's never ideal to play a team that has gone this long without scoring a goal. Union's defense has been stingy this season, for sure, but Duisburg have to be getting desperate, and no matter how talented you are, at this level, it is hard to match desperation.
There are no easy games in this division, as Union could tell you. The last time Union beat a team sitting in 16th or worse in the table at the time of the match was a 3-1 win over Greuther Fürth on October 21. They lost at 16th place Heidenheim last year, at 18th place Kaiserslautern, drew 0-0 with Aue in Berlin when they were 16th, and lost badly at 17th place Darmstadt.
Of course, it's different to play teams at the bottom of the table in April and May, when they are fighting for their lives, versus playing them now, in September, when the ship could still be righted.
But it's never ideal to play a team that has gone this long without scoring a goal. Union's defense has been stingy this season, for sure, but Duisburg have to be getting desperate, and no matter how talented you are, at this level, it is hard to match desperation.
Team News
Out: Polter (Achilles,) Schönheim (knee), Abdullahi (ankle), Mees (thigh)
Well, everyone is back in training, so there's that! Moreover, it was a delight to see Fabian Schönheim make an appearance off the bench during the international break during the friendly against Grasshopper Zürich at Alte Försterei.
But, with all of that said, I don't suspect that any of the four absentees will find their way into the starting XI tonight, at the very least. I've turned out to be very wrong about injury news so far on this blog, but that's generally been with the opponents...
Transfermarkt also lists Marc Torrejón as being out with a "disrupted calf muscle," which doesn't seem like the right translation. In going through the German Wadenmuskelriss, it seems to be a pull or a tear. So my German is improving already.
To that end, a lot of the XI picks itself, with only a few questionable areas: Akaki Gogia or Kenny Prince Redondo? Marcel Hartel or Felix Kroos or Robert Žulj? It was Redondo and Žulj against Sandhausen; it was Gogia and Kroos against St. Pauli (though Žulj had just arrived at that point.)
Predicted XI: Gikiewicz, Trimmel, Friedrich, Hübner, Reichel, Schmiedebach, Prömel, Žulj, Gogia, Hedlund, Andersson.
As for Duisburg, they are listed as being without Christian Gartner (cruciate ligament rupture,) John Verhoek (shoulder,) and Enis Hajri (ankle.) But I've been wildly wrong about opponents before, so I won't make any conjectures about when any of them will be available again.
Out: Polter (Achilles,) Schönheim (knee), Abdullahi (ankle), Mees (thigh)
Well, everyone is back in training, so there's that! Moreover, it was a delight to see Fabian Schönheim make an appearance off the bench during the international break during the friendly against Grasshopper Zürich at Alte Försterei.
But, with all of that said, I don't suspect that any of the four absentees will find their way into the starting XI tonight, at the very least. I've turned out to be very wrong about injury news so far on this blog, but that's generally been with the opponents...
Transfermarkt also lists Marc Torrejón as being out with a "disrupted calf muscle," which doesn't seem like the right translation. In going through the German Wadenmuskelriss, it seems to be a pull or a tear. So my German is improving already.
To that end, a lot of the XI picks itself, with only a few questionable areas: Akaki Gogia or Kenny Prince Redondo? Marcel Hartel or Felix Kroos or Robert Žulj? It was Redondo and Žulj against Sandhausen; it was Gogia and Kroos against St. Pauli (though Žulj had just arrived at that point.)
Predicted XI: Gikiewicz, Trimmel, Friedrich, Hübner, Reichel, Schmiedebach, Prömel, Žulj, Gogia, Hedlund, Andersson.
As for Duisburg, they are listed as being without Christian Gartner (cruciate ligament rupture,) John Verhoek (shoulder,) and Enis Hajri (ankle.) But I've been wildly wrong about opponents before, so I won't make any conjectures about when any of them will be available again.
Current Form
Talk about exact opposites. Union are unbeaten in the league thus far this season, winning each of their home games while drawing both away matches, which is not a bad position to be in at all. There are only three other unbeaten clubs in the 2. Bundesliga after four matches: Köln, Holstein Kiel, and Greuther Fürth, though the latter did crash out of the Pokal in dramatic fashion to Union's second round opponent, Borussia Dortmund.
Duisburg are not the only winless club in the second division (Aue and Sandhausen have not won either,) but they are the only club without a single point to their name and they're the only club that have not scored either. Duisburg have lost 1-0 to Dresden, 2-0 to Bochum, 3-0 to Darmstadt, and 1-0 to Fürth. They did win their cup tie, though, 1-0 over fifth tier TuS Dassendorf. They'll travel to Bielefeld for the second round.
Talk about exact opposites. Union are unbeaten in the league thus far this season, winning each of their home games while drawing both away matches, which is not a bad position to be in at all. There are only three other unbeaten clubs in the 2. Bundesliga after four matches: Köln, Holstein Kiel, and Greuther Fürth, though the latter did crash out of the Pokal in dramatic fashion to Union's second round opponent, Borussia Dortmund.
Duisburg are not the only winless club in the second division (Aue and Sandhausen have not won either,) but they are the only club without a single point to their name and they're the only club that have not scored either. Duisburg have lost 1-0 to Dresden, 2-0 to Bochum, 3-0 to Darmstadt, and 1-0 to Fürth. They did win their cup tie, though, 1-0 over fifth tier TuS Dassendorf. They'll travel to Bielefeld for the second round.
Match Facts
Union are unbeaten in their last three matches against Duisburg, though all three were even after 90 minutes. Last year, the clubs drew both of their league meetings; in October, Duisburg scored an 86th minute equalizer to draw at home (that sounds like last season,) while the sides played a cautious 0-0 draw in Berlin on April 7, as both sides began to realize how precious every point would be in the tight 2. Bundesliga table.
The prior meeting between the sides came in the DFB-Pokal in 2016/17 first round, while Duisburg were in the 3. Liga. Union's opening goal was cancelled out by a Duisburg equalizer, but Union were through thanks to an own goal five minutes into extra time. Union, of course, then went to Dortmund (like they will this year!) where they lost on penalties.
Duisburg's last win over Union came 2-1 on March 12, 2016, when Duisburg were in last place (see that opening I wrote again...) You have to go back to March of 2010 to find Duisburg's last win in Berlin, which came by a 1-0 scoreline.
Union are unbeaten in their last three matches against Duisburg, though all three were even after 90 minutes. Last year, the clubs drew both of their league meetings; in October, Duisburg scored an 86th minute equalizer to draw at home (that sounds like last season,) while the sides played a cautious 0-0 draw in Berlin on April 7, as both sides began to realize how precious every point would be in the tight 2. Bundesliga table.
The prior meeting between the sides came in the DFB-Pokal in 2016/17 first round, while Duisburg were in the 3. Liga. Union's opening goal was cancelled out by a Duisburg equalizer, but Union were through thanks to an own goal five minutes into extra time. Union, of course, then went to Dortmund (like they will this year!) where they lost on penalties.
Duisburg's last win over Union came 2-1 on March 12, 2016, when Duisburg were in last place (see that opening I wrote again...) You have to go back to March of 2010 to find Duisburg's last win in Berlin, which came by a 1-0 scoreline.
The Referee
The referee is Michael Bacher, from Amerang. Bacher has not worked an Union match before and has only worked one Duisburg match, a 3. Liga meeting between the Zebras and Fortuna Köln, which Duisburg won 3-0 back on May 13, 2017. That win clinched Duisburg's promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.
This will be Bacher's first 2. Bundesliga fixture in his career; he'll turn 28 in February. He has been fourth official on a few occasions, including in the top flight. So yeah, that means I don't have that much else to say here...
Around the League
- Friday: SSV Jahn Regensburg v. Dynamo Dresden; Continental Arena, Regensburg
- Saturday: Hamburger SV v. 1. FC Heidenheim; Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
- Saturday: SV Darmstadt 98 v. SV Sandhausen; Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, Darmstadt
- Saturday: SpVgg Greuther Fürth v. Holstein Kiel; Sportpark Ronhof, Fürth
- Sunday: 1. FC Köln v. SC Paderborn 07; RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne
- Sunday: VfL Bochum v. FC Ingolstadt 04; Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum
- Sunday: Erzgebirge Aue v. FC St. Pauli; Erzgebirgsstadion, Aue
- Monday: 1. FC Magdeburg v. Arminia Bielefeld; MDCC-Arena, Magdeburg
- Tuesday (rescheduled from Matchday 4): Dynamo Dresden v. Hamburger SV; Stadion Dresden, Dresden
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