Union Berlin vs Werder Bremen preview: A sneaky important clash at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei

Union Berlin

Union Berlin are in a weird spot going into this contest. 

They currently sit in 10th, right smack in the middle of the Bundesliga standings. There’s still hope of a potential European push, as Die Eisernen are six points behind 7th place Eintracht Frankfurt. Then again, they’re not completely safe from relegation, with six points separating them from the relegation-playoff position, currently held by Werder Bremen.

That puts real pressure on Berlin on both fronts. The last few weeks have been quite inconsistent, which explains their current situation. Two games ago they defeated Bayer Leverkusen at home, which is an impressive result. The problem is that the game was sandwiched by two away losses to teams in the bottom parts of the table, Hamburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

One contest sees five goals between the two sides, and then the next two matches both end with a 1-0 scoreline. You never quite know what you’re going to get with Berlin. What feels like the safest bet is that they will probably end the campaign where they are now, comfortably in midtable. 

The contests still have to be played, though. Union has the talent to go on a run, with a solid backline and attackers who can make a difference on any given day. Ilyas Ansah is someone to keep an eye out for, as even though he hasn’t featured much recently, he was a real bright spot in the early stages of the campaign. If he gets a chance, he might kick-start the attack.

There will also be two talents facing their employers of last year. Both Oliver Burke and Derrick Koln were Bremen players, with the former leaving on a free and the latter not having his loan deal made permanent. They ended up in the capital, and have made an impact in stages. While the reverse fixture was uneventful, Burke and Koln will have another chance for some revenge on this occasion.

Another loss for Union, however, could see them dragged too close to the relegation fight.

Team news

Berlin will be without a few key players, namely Diogo Leite, Robert Skov, and Tom Rothe.

Predicted lineups

Ronnow, Doekhi, Querfeld, N’Soki, Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Koln, Schafer, Burke, Ansah

Werder Bremen

If Werder Bremen are to stay up this season, their victory last weekend will prove to be the start of their run to secure safety.

In one of the club’s biggest games in years, Bremen showed up when it mattered most. They defeated last-place FC Heidenheim at the Weserstadion, and they were deserved winners by the end of the afternoon. Dominant in the first-half, they failed to jump in front, and supporters were expecting that to cost them by full-time.

However, Werder kept up the pressure, and finally found the goal they needed in the 57th minute. Romano Schmid whipped in a lovely ball into the box, and loanee Jovan Milosevic rose up to head home from a tight angle. There were some moments where the backline had to survive and keep the opposition at bay, but a second goal with the final kick of the match sealed three massive points.

The good news is the Green-Whites did play well for extended periods. Their best asset was their pressing, as they pushed high up the field and forced the Heidenheim midfield into a number of turnovers. There was a real fight from the players, which is incredibly important. If the guys on the field give up during a relegation fight, then the club is as good as gone.

Things looked better going forward, too, with some nice passing moves and attacks toward goal. Bremen really should have been up at least 2-0 going into the break, and they could’ve scored more in the second half too. While it’s still concerning to see how wasteful they are in the final third, at least they’re creating opportunities for themselves. You’ll score eventually.

The only uncertainty about this showing was who it was against. Heidenheim came out the blocks flat, and they never really got going during the contest. There was a five-to-ten minute stretch where they controlled proceedings, but that was it. They let themselves down, and made it easy for their opponents.

Werder will have a much tougher test ahead of them this time around, as Berlin are not going to gift them any major chances. If the away side is going to score any more goals, they are going to have to earn them. They cannot afford to be wasteful.

Another win here would not only be huge for their momentum and self-belief, it’d most importantly prove to be a major boost in the league standings. There’s a lot of teams packed together down there, so three points could vault them over a few others. If anything, they might put more distance between themselves and Wolfsburg in 17th.

Team news

Life is only getting tougher on the injury front. The likes of Mitchell Weiser, Felix Agu, Maximilian Wöber, Amos Pieper, Karim Coulibaly, Victor Boniface, and Samuel Mbangula are still out, while Jovan Milosevic is a real doubt for the match.

Predicted lineups

Backhaus, Sugawara, Stark, Friedl, Deman, Puertas, Lynen, Stage, Grull, Njinmah, Schmid