Preview: 1. FC Union Berlin v. Borussia Dortmund

Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Berlin

Saturday, August 31

12:30 p.m. EDT, 18:30 CEST

• Match Officials
• Referee: Dr. Felix Brych
• Assistants: Mark Borsch and Stefan Lupp
• 4th Official: Martin Petersen
• Video Assistant: Günter Perl
• All-Time in All Competitions: 2 Dortmund wins
• Union's League Position: 14th place, 1 point, -4 GD
• Union's League Form: W-D // D-D // L-D
• Dortmund's League Position: 1st place, 6 points, +6 GD
• Dortmund's League Form: L-D-W-W // W-W

Union Berlin had to come from behind, but Sebastian Andersson's 80th minute goal last week, the first in the club's Bundesliga history, earned the club their first top flight point. With those accomplishments out of the way, Union return home this weekend to face one of the title favorites.

So, what can Union expect to accomplish against a club with the attacking prowess of Borussia Dortmund, who have already racked up eight goals and a +6 goal difference in two matches? Dortmund are probably, on the whole, better than the RB Leipzig team that already won 4-0 at Alte Försterei.

But they've been known to put up some questionable results in the past. Last year, they lost at Düsseldorf and Augsburg and played scoreless draws in their road games against both clubs that were eventually relegated directly (Hannover and Nürnberg.) Last year in the Pokal, they even needed 120 minutes to beat second division *checks notes* Greuther Fürth. *checks further notes* Oh, and Union, too.

I think the most you could really ask for is to eliminate the mistakes that led to Leipzig's goals on matchday one. Dortmund have even more of that quality to punish those mistakes. But if the past is any indicator, a result isn't impossible.

Union Team News

Out: Hübner (match fitness,) Prömel (leg)
Suspended: Schlotterbeck (first of two, red card)

• Keven Schlotterbeck will serve the first match of a two match ban for his straight red card against Augsburg.
• However, Florian Hübner is still not expected to be match fit at center back.
• That should mean a start for ex-Dortmund defender Neven Subotić as well as Marvin Friedrich, who did not get to make an appearance last week against his old club.
• The worse news is that Grischa Prömel is out with a very vague leg injury, which Urs Fischer wouldn't elaborate on in his press conference.
• Christian Gentner, who missed last week with a knock, is expected to be back and could play in that position, however.
• Perhaps that means a first appearance of the season for Manuel Schmiedebach, who played in all but two matches last year, missing one with a yellow card suspension and one match injured.
• Then again, if Fischer sticks with the same formation as last week's start and the second half against Leipzig, Gentner may sit deep along with Robert Andrich, then start two wingers and two forwards.
• But, with so many available options up top, your guess is as good as mine as to who those wingers and forwards would be.

Dortmund Team News

• The only major injury for Dortmund is that Thorgan Hazard has a bruised rib, but it'll keep him out "several weeks."
• This, of course, leaves Dortmund with only 9,999 attacking options. Now, Union will just have to deal with Marco Reus, Paco Alcácer, Julian Brandt, Jaden Sancho, Raphaël Guerreiro, Mario Götze, Jacob Bruun Larsen...

Current Form

• It's a little weird to talk about Union's form at this point in time, because what do you say here?
• It was big to get a point at Augsburg last week, but also, you could say something like "Union haven't won since they beat Magdeburg in May."
• Like, they won promotion without winning either of the individual play-off games...
• ...so, I think it's best to leave it at that.
• Dortmund are unbeaten in their last six fixtures across all competitions, winning all four they've played this year.
• That includes two in the league: 5-1 over Augsburg and 3-1 over Köln, one in the Pokal: 2-0 over Uerdingen, and the DFL-Supercup: 2-0 over Bayern.

Match Facts

• In competitive fixtures, Union and Dortmund have met twice in the Pokal, both in recent years.
• They were both played in Dortmund and were both Dortmund wins as well, though neither cup tie was completed within the normal 90 minutes.
• In 2016, an 81st minute Steven Skrzybski goal canceled out an earlier Michael Parensen own goal to eventually set up a penalty shootout, wherein all three Union players missed.
• Last year, Sebastian Polter equalized twice for Union to force extra time, but a 120th Marco Reus penalty gave the hosts the win.
• Dortmund have visited Alte Försterei, but it was for a friendly played over the winter break in January of 2016, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Union. That match ended 3-1 to the visitors.

The Referee

• The referee is Dr. Felix Brych, from Munich.
• Union have seen Brych 13 times in the past, compiling a record of six wins, three draws, and four losses.
• Union saw him twice last season alone, in their 4-2 cup tie win at Jena and in their 1-1 draw at Magdeburg in December.
• It's worth noting here that Brych also worked the first derby match against Hertha, a 1-1 draw at Alte Försterei in December of 2010.
• Of course, Brych has been at the top level for a long time. On that note, Dortmund have seen Brych 41 times in the past, with a record of 24 wins, 11 draws, and six losses.
• Last year, Brych worked Dortmund's Pokal loss to Bremen on penalties, as well as a 4-2 league win at Leverkusen, in which Dortmund came back from 2-0 down.
• Many of Dortmund's losses with Brych in the middle came in cup ties; they've only lost three league fixtures with him: 1-0 at Bielefeld in 2006, 2-1 at home to Schalke in October of 2012, and 3-0 at Hamburg in February 2014.

Around the Bundesliga

• Friday (night): Borussia Mönchengladbach v. RB Leipzig; Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach
• Saturday: Bayern München v. 1. FSV Mainz 05; Allianz Arena, Munich
• Saturday: Bayer 04 Leverkusen v. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim; BayArena, Leverkusen
• Saturday: VfL Wolfsburg v. SC Paderborn 07; Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
• Saturday: SC Freiburg v. 1. FC Köln; Schwarzwald-Stadion, Freiburg im Breisgau
• Saturday: FC Schalke 04 v. Hertha BSC; Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
• Sunday (early): Werder Bremen v. FC Augsburg; Weserstadion, Bremen
• Sunday (late): Eintracht Frankfurt v. Fortuna Düsseldorf; Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt

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John Painting is a contributing writer and co-founder of Eisern NYC. He can be found on Twitter @zorrocat.