Union Berlin vs. Frankfurt preview: A top 6 showdown
At the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Sunday afternoon, both sides are looking to end a disappointing run of form and better their chances at securing a return to European football.
| Oliver Glasner. | Photo: Sven Mandel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Union Berlin
Union still sit 4th in the table, but haven’t won a game in their last five competitive matches. They were knocked out of the Europa League by another Union, but this could be a blessing in disguise so the capital club can refocus their attention on the league.
Urs Fischer’s team are hoping to continue solid play at home, as they haven’t dropped all three points in their last 17 home Bundesliga contests. The trainer is expected to rotate the squad again, meaning Josip Juranovic, who’s been so good since his winter move, could start on the bench.
Union have scored the most headers in the Bundesliga this season with 12, while Frankfurt have conceded the most at 11.
Following their loss in Belgium, captain Christopher Trimmel said, "We all know that almost every Bundesliga team is going through such a phase. We will still make sure that we look at things soberly and get back on track as soon as possible."
Team News
Kevin Behrens trained lightly on Friday and Saturday, but he’s expected to play. Andras Schäfer will remain out for Die Eisern.
Frankfurt
Eintracht also haven’t won in their last five competitive games and expectedly fell out of the Champions League against Napoli on Wednesday. Randal Kolo Muani was suspended for that match, but should play the full 90 minutes on Sunday.
With only one win in their last five Bundesliga matches, Oliver Glasner and his team have a lot of ground to cover in order to climb back into the Champions League places. But, the quality is there and Frankfurt just need players like Götze, Kamada and Borre to return to form in front of goal.
In his press conference, Glasner said, "We need to defend in a disciplined way and be alert at set-pieces. That will increase our chances of success significantly. - I think the back four is also an option for us in the future."
Team News
Junior Dina Ebimbe and Jesper Lindstrøm are out injured, while Sebastian Rode will serve a yellow-card suspension.