Union Berlin vs Borussia M’bach
Sports Mole previews Friday’s Bundesliga clash between Union Berlin and Borussia Monchengladbach, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
With October’s international break wrapped up, Bundesliga action returns this Friday night as Union Berlin host Borussia Monchengladbach at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei.
Both clubs have made a slow start to the new season, though Die Eisernen are still four points better off than Die Fohlen, who are the only team left in the competition yet to bag a win.
Match previewThe international break certainly came at a good time for Union Berlin, who clearly needed a restart after failing to score a single goal across their last two Bundesliga outings.
Steffen Baumgart and his men have not rattled the net in 214 minutes of competitive football, though in calendar terms, their drought has lasted for almost a full month.
Another concern for Union is their poor defensive record, which has seen them concede 13 goals and keep just one Bundesliga clean sheet – the third worst defensive showing in the competition.
Despite all those negatives, the Berlin-based club have done well to amass seven points, including four in their last three outings.
Their next task will be to end their two-match losing run against Borussia Monchengladbach and pick up their first win over their rivals in almost two years.
Speaking of Die Fohlen, interim boss Eugen Polanski will be hoping to continue rebuilding confidence, which was shattered by a woeful start to the campaign.
Gladbach became the second club this season to sack their manager, as Gerardo Seoane received his marching orders in mid-September following a poor run of results.
Since taking over, Polanski has managed to earn a couple of gritty draws against Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen, though sandwiched between those two results was a bonkers 6-4 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The next step for Die Fohlen is to end their 13-match winless run in the Bundesliga, and they will certainly fancy their chances as they prepare to take on a Union Berlin side which they have beaten in their last two meetings.
Union Berlin Bundesliga form:
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Union Berlin form (all competitions):
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Borussia Monchengladbach Bundesliga form:
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Borussia Monchengladbach form (all competitions):
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Team News
Union Berlin are doing relatively well on the injury front, though there are still doubts over the fitness of three players.
Robert Skov, for instance, has not featured in a competitive fixture since a home 4-2 defeat to Hoffenheim in mid-September. However, the forward did get 90 minutes of action in a friendly fixture during the international break, which is a good sign for the Dane.
Fellow forward Livan Burcu was not afforded the same luxury, as his ankle troubles continue, making the 21-year-old a doubt for Friday’s fixture.
There are also question marks over the availability of Croatian defender Josip Juranovic, who has not featured since a 2-1 win over Stuttgart in August.
Borussia Monchengladbach, on the other hand, remain without striker Tim Kleindienst, who is still recovering from his knee injury.
Nathan Ngoumou has been out of action since April with an Achilles tendon injury, and he will remain on the sidelines this Friday.
Favio Cristian Chiarodia and Robin Hack are also expected to miss the match through adductor and knee issues.
Union Berlin possible starting lineup:
Ronnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite; Trimmel, Khedira, Haberer, Kohn; Burke, Ilic, Ansah
Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:
Nicolas; Scally, Diks, Elvedi, Netz; Reitz, Sander, Engelhardt; Neuhaus, Castrop; Tabakovic
We say: Union Berlin 1-1 Borussia MonchengladbachBoth these teams need a confidence-boosting win, though considering how poor both have been during these early weeks of the season, that is unlikely.
Union have had a few ups along the way, but their performance against Leverkusen last time out was particularly bleak. With that in mind, we are backing Monchengladbach to take advantage and seal another point.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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