Union Berlin vs. Eintracht Frankfurt preview: Riera targeting positive start

Union Berlin

Union may be sitting in the top half of the table, but they are closer to the bottom three than they are to the top six. That said, they still boast a healthy six-point cushion to the danger zone, although that gap could decrease if they fail to spark an upturn in fortunes, having failed to win any of their last five Bundesliga outings.

Steffen Baumgart’s side played out three consecutive draws with Mainz 05, Augsburg and Stuttgart, before they fell to back-to-back defeats against Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim. They may have home advantage for Friday’s fixture, but a return of one win from their last six home league outings will not inspire confidence about the potential of a victory (D3, L2).

They have at least won their last two meetings with Frankfurt, including a dramatic 4-3 success in September’s reverse fixture. That result made it four consecutive head-to-head meetings without defeat (W2, D2).

Team News

Union defender Diogo Leite will be out for around four to six weeks after he sustained a thigh injury in the defeat to Hoffenheim. The hosts are also without the injured trio of Tom Rothe, Josip Juranović and Robert Skov.

Predicted lineup: Rønnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Nsoki; Haberer, Khedira, Kemlein, Köhn; Burke, Ansah, Ilic

Eintracht Frankfurt

Frankfurt will head into Friday’s fixture with a new head coach after Alberto Riera was appointed as Dino Toppmöller this week. Riera, who has spent the last 18 months in charge of Celje, takes over a side that have failed to win any of their last eight competitive matches. In fact, die Adler have lost each of their last four games, including a 3-1 defeat in last Saturday’s home clash with Leverkusen, leaving them in eighth place and eight points adrift of the top six.

Out of the Champions League and DFB-Pokal, the league represents the only way in which Frankfurt can secure European football for next term. If they are to have any hopes of achieving that objective, Frankfurt will need to put together a strong run of form, beginning with Riera’s first game as a Bundesliga coach. 

Friday’s visitors have won just one of their last five meetings with Union, although they have managed to take four points from their last two visits to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

Team News

Frankfurt are unable to call upon the forward trio of Jonathan Burkardt, Younes Ebnoutalib and Michy Batshuayi due to injury. They are also without Elias Baum and Can Uzun, while Ellyes Skhiri is suspended after being sent off in the defeat to Leverkusen.

Predicted lineup: Kauã; Kristensen, Koch, Theate, Brown; Götze, Højlund, Larsson; Doan, Knauff, Kalimuendo