Preview: SSV Jahn Regensburg v. 1. FC Union Berlin
Continental Arena, Regensburg
Sunday, November 5
7:30 a.m. EST, 13:30 CET
- Referee: Sascha Stegemann
- This Match, Last Year: Regensburg 0 - 2 Union Berlin
- All-Time in All Competitions: 5 Union Berlin wins, 1 Regensburg win, 3 draws
- Union Berlin's League Position: 3rd, 19 points, +7 GD
- Union Berlin's League Form: D-W-W-D-D-D
- Regensburg's League Position: 9th, 16 points, +3 GD
- Regensburg's League Form: W-W-W-D-D-D
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| I'm still a little bitter. |
But that team also went approximately six hours without an outfield player scoring a goal between Akaki Gogia's goal that made it 2-0 in Ingolstadt weeks ago and Sebastian Polter's first equalizer on Wednesday night. The defense has been the story of the season, with just seven goals conceded in 11 league games played and it certainly makes for more comfortable viewing after the defense was so leaky last year.
So while Union were courageous in defeat against the Bundesliga leaders, they now set their sights squarely on the league, where they sit two points out of first place.
It's just... they haven't won in a month...
Team News
Out: Kroos (ankle,) Torrejón (calf)
Felix Kroos missed the trip to Dortmund midweek with an ankle problem he picked up against Dresden and remains out, per Urs Fischer's Friday afternoon press conference. Robert Žulj was excellent in that role at the Westfalenstadion, but those 120 minutes might weigh heavy on his (and many others') legs by the later stages of Sunday's match. Žulj had noticeably cramped a bit by the end.
Marc Torrejón remains out with a calf problem; he's missed the entirety of the season thus far.
The biggest questions in predicting a starting XI are in the forward trio. I would think that, at this point, Sebastian Polter looks set to earn a start again. As for the wider players, Kenny Prince Redondo was excellent against Dortmund, but might switch out for Akaki Gogia, whose hot streak to start the season has cooled a little bit. Or, perhaps they both start and Joshua Mees doesn't? It would be a special match for Mees, who played at Regensburg on loan last season.
What about Suleiman Abdullahi? Maybe Simon Hedlund slips back in, though he missed two glorious chances in the cup tie. This squad doesn't seem to find room for Marcel Hartel, either. I do feel confident that Sebastian Andersson will get a rest, though, for some reason.
Union have such a glut of talented forwards, it's remarkable they so often can't seem to find the net.
As far as I can tell, Marvin Friedrich's indirect red card only applies to Pokal ties, but it should be noted that Grischa Prömel is one yellow card away from an accumulation ban.
Predicted XI: Gikiewicz, Trimmel, Friedrich, Hübner, Reichel, Schmiedebach, Prömel, Žulj, Mees, Gogia, Polter.
As for Regensburg, it looks like they'll have two injury absences: Oliver Hein and Sebastian Nachreiner, who both have knee injuries, a dislocation and a ligament rupture, respectively. Both players have been out since April.
Out: Kroos (ankle,) Torrejón (calf)
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| Well, at least someone can score. |
Marc Torrejón remains out with a calf problem; he's missed the entirety of the season thus far.
The biggest questions in predicting a starting XI are in the forward trio. I would think that, at this point, Sebastian Polter looks set to earn a start again. As for the wider players, Kenny Prince Redondo was excellent against Dortmund, but might switch out for Akaki Gogia, whose hot streak to start the season has cooled a little bit. Or, perhaps they both start and Joshua Mees doesn't? It would be a special match for Mees, who played at Regensburg on loan last season.
What about Suleiman Abdullahi? Maybe Simon Hedlund slips back in, though he missed two glorious chances in the cup tie. This squad doesn't seem to find room for Marcel Hartel, either. I do feel confident that Sebastian Andersson will get a rest, though, for some reason.
Union have such a glut of talented forwards, it's remarkable they so often can't seem to find the net.
As far as I can tell, Marvin Friedrich's indirect red card only applies to Pokal ties, but it should be noted that Grischa Prömel is one yellow card away from an accumulation ban.
Predicted XI: Gikiewicz, Trimmel, Friedrich, Hübner, Reichel, Schmiedebach, Prömel, Žulj, Mees, Gogia, Polter.
As for Regensburg, it looks like they'll have two injury absences: Oliver Hein and Sebastian Nachreiner, who both have knee injuries, a dislocation and a ligament rupture, respectively. Both players have been out since April.
Current Form
Well, Union Berlin have suffered their first taste of defeat this season, though they remain unbeaten in the league and over 90 minute matches so, there's that. But seven draws from 11 league fixtures is starting to feel a little absurd.
As for Jahn Regensburg, they opened the season with a home win over Ingolstadt, which seemed a little more impressive at the time. From there, they went winless in five across all competitions, losing three league games (to Paderborn, Bielefeld, and Dresden,) crashing out of the cup to Chemie Leipzig at the first hurdle, and drawing 0-0 with Holstein Kiel in between.
But then, from nowhere, they went to Hamburg and won 5-0, kicking off a three match winning streak that included victories over Heidenheim and Duisburg. But, like Union, they have drawn their last three league fixtures, 1-1 at Fürth, 1-1 at home against Darmstadt, and then 3-3 in a wild game at Bochum on Monday.
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| Regensburg snatched a 3-3 draw from Bochum on Monday with a goal in the 93rd minute. |
As for Jahn Regensburg, they opened the season with a home win over Ingolstadt, which seemed a little more impressive at the time. From there, they went winless in five across all competitions, losing three league games (to Paderborn, Bielefeld, and Dresden,) crashing out of the cup to Chemie Leipzig at the first hurdle, and drawing 0-0 with Holstein Kiel in between.
But then, from nowhere, they went to Hamburg and won 5-0, kicking off a three match winning streak that included victories over Heidenheim and Duisburg. But, like Union, they have drawn their last three league fixtures, 1-1 at Fürth, 1-1 at home against Darmstadt, and then 3-3 in a wild game at Bochum on Monday.
Match Facts
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| Sebastian Polter celebrates at Regensburg last year with the away supporters. |
Even though both clubs were relegated in 2004, the third division was still regional in 2004/05, so the clubs didn't play again until 2008/09, when the 3. Liga was national. Union won both meetings that year, en route to promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.
Last year, as Regensburg were promoted back to the 2. Bundesliga in 2017, Union won the first meeting in Bavaria 2-0 in October; Sebastian Polter put Union up 1-0 just a minute after Jakob Busk saved a penalty and Akaki Gogia made it 2-0 in the 57th minute. Later in the season, Regensburg got a 2-2 draw at Alte Försterei (let's be honest, who didn't?) coming from behind twice. Felix Kroos and Philipp Hosiner had Union's goals, but Marvin Knoll, now at St. Pauli, scored an 89th minute penalty to get out of Berlin with a point.
The Referee
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| You're not supposed to show them both at once... |
Jahn Regensburg have had Stegemann four times, winning two, drawing one, and losing one. They didn't have him at all last year, so you have to go back to the 3. Liga and a May 2017 1-0 win at Preußen Münster for the last time Stegemann worked a Regensburg match. Regensburg's other win with Stegemann was 1-0 at Carl Zeiss Jena in 2011. The draw was with Bielefeld, also in the 3. Liga, in February 2012. The one loss was a 2. Bundesliga fixture, though it was against Energie Cottbus, 1-0 in September of 2012.
Around the League
- Friday: Dynamo Dresden v. SV Sandhausen; Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, Dresden
- Friday: SpVgg Greuther Fürth v. VfL Bochum; Sportpark Ronhof Thomas Sommer, Fürth
- Saturday: Holstein Kiel v. FC Ingolstadt 04; Holstein-Stadion, Kiel
- Saturday: MSV Duisburg v. SC Paderborn 07; MSV-Arena, Duisburg
- Saturday: SV Darmstadt 98 v. 1. FC Magdeburg; Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, Darmstadt
- Sunday: Arminia Bielefeld v. FC St. Pauli; SchücoArena, Bielefeld
- Sunday: 1. FC Heidenheim v. Erzgebirge Aue; Voith-Arena, Heidenheim
- Monday: Hamburger SV v. 1. FC Köln; Volksparkstadion, Hamburg
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