Hertha BSC vs. Union Berlin preview: Another edition of the Berlin derby
The Olympiastadion will host the Berlin derby once again between two capital clubs who are moving in two completely different directions.
| Oliver Christensen. |
Hertha BSC
In the match that was supposed to set the tone for the second half of the campaign, Hertha disappointingly fell to lowly Bochum 3-1. They followed this up by putting together another lifeless performance in their 5-0 loss to Wolfsburg midweek.
It’s safe to say that Sandro Schwarz is on the hot seat, as Hertha have now dropped to 17th place and have a huge uphill battle ahead. They’re in desperate need of more goals from Wilfried Kanga and Suat Serdar, as Dodi Lukebakio can only do so much.
In his press conference, the under-fire Schwarz stated, "The derby has come at just the right time. We have the chance to completely change the mood. A derby is always of great significance and we want to show a completely different side to us."
Team News
Kelian Nsona, Chidera Ejuke, Agustin Rogel and Jonjoe Kenny have all been ruled out. Augsburg signing Florian Niederlechner could find a spot in the starting 11 for the first time.
Union Berlin
Union ended the first half of the season on a bit of a sour note, but with two wins to start the new year they have jumped back into 2nd place. But, the derby can really show one’s true colors as an away test against their capital rivals will undoubtedly be a tense affair per usual.
Kevin Behrens is looking like Sheraldo Becker’s best strike partner up front with Jordan out of form. The midfield is solid with dependable players such as Janik Haberer and Rani Khedira, while defender Danilho Doekhi has scored every time he’s had a shot on target this season. Not too shabby.
Urs Fischer said that, "These are games with a lot of emotions. It's about prestige. There is a lot of talk and writing about the derby. - We have goals that we have not yet achieved. It’s looking good, but we haven't achieved anything yet.”
Team News
Morten Thorsby is the only player unavailable on Saturday afternoon for Union.