Union Berlin will aim to book their place in the Champions League when they host Werder Bremen at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei for the final game of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season.
Not only the title race, but the two-horse top-four race in the Bundesliga comes down to the final match week as fourth-placed Union Berlin welcome mid-table Werder Bremen this Saturday, needing only to equal Freiburg’s result to secure Champions League football for the first time in their history.
Urs Fischer’s side currently sit above Freiburg on goal difference, with both having collected 59 points so far this season with identical records in the league. Union Berlin finished fifth in the Bundesliga a year ago, one point behind RB Leipzig and the Champions League football. A year prior, Die Eisernen finished seventh, staring once more at Leipzig above them.
After defeat away to Hoffenheim last weekend, Union have to accept RB Leipzig’s dominance once more, as while the Red Bull club’s unprecedented victory over Bavarian giants made things interesting in the title race, it also secured third place for Die Roten.
However, Union still have another chance of securing a historic place in Europe’s elite football competition. But Werder Bremen stand in their way in the final match of the season. The newly-promoted outfit have only picked up a single victory in their last 11 German top-flight games but have somehow secured their status for another term.
They will no doubt be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Union Berlin after their promotion, but after a long season, Werder’s results have regressed, maybe unsurprisingly.
The visitors have only grabbed one point out of the previous 12 available to them, but that point against 1. FC Koln is enough to keep them out of the bottom three, with a four-point margin currently separating them from 16th-placed Bochum.
The reverse fixture ended in a 1-2 victory for Union Berlin on the road, a result the hosts would happily take here. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Key Stats
Union Berlin
Alles wie immer: Gemeinsam alles geben, Unioner! 🙌#fcunion | #FCUSVW
— 1. FC Union Berlin (@fcunion) May 25, 2023
Head Coach Urs Fischer stated in the pre-match press conference that his team would just do their job, leveraging the feeling of occasion. That may be easier said than done, but Union have no big injury concerns for the season finale, with Andras Schafer the only player missing out through a reoccurring foot injury.
Fischer is unlikely to make any changes with so much at stake and will go ahead with his tried-and-tested 3-5-2 formation.
Frederik Ronnow will start in goal behind a back three of Danilho Doekhi, Robin Knoche, and Diogo Leite. They will be anchored by the midfield trio of Janik Haberer, Aissa Laidouni, and Rani Khedira, flanked by the wing-back duo of Christopher Trimmel and Jerome Roussillon.
With 19 goals and 11 assists between them in the league this season, Sheraldo Becker and Kevin Behrens will be leading the attack. The duo will look to offer a mix of pace, creativity, and goals going forward.
Becker stands out as a major source of goals for Union after his stellar performance in the 4-2 victory over Freiburg in their last home game. Becker had two goals and two assists as Die Eisernen overcame their key top-four rivals, and he can fire his side into the Champions League on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Ronnow; Doekhi, Knoche, Leite; Trimmel, Laidouni, Khedira, Haberer, Roussillon; Becker, Behrens
Werder Bremen
Ole Werner’s side are suffering from a number of injury absentees and will be without the services of Dikeni-Rafid Salifou (foot injury), Felix Agu (knee), Mitchell Weiser (muscle), Amos Pieper (ankle), and captain Christian Gross (knee), who are all out, as is Jens Stage through suspension.
Star striker Niclas Fullkrug has struggled with a calf problem in recent weeks but could well recover in time and be available for selection here. Expect Ole Werner to match up Union Berlin with a 3-5-2 formation, with the now fully fit Fullkrug and Marvin Ducksch leading the line together for the visitors.
The final session of the season 🔛💪#FCUSVW ⌛#werder pic.twitter.com/QJXMaCMfcK
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) May 26, 2023
With 16 goals and five assists, Fullkrug has contributed to almost half of Werder’s goals this season. The German striker looks set to win the golden boot and may look to wrap it up here in what could be his final game for Werder Bremen amid European interest. His strike partner, Ducksh, has contributed to 18 Bundesliga goals this season and will pose a real attacking threat in counter-attacking situations.
Jiri Pavlenka should start in goal behind the defensive trio of Milos Veljkovic, Niklas Stark, and Friedl. Romano Schmid and Anthony Jung will provide width, with Ilia Gruev holding the fort in central midfield alongside the box-to-box presences of Leonardo Bittencourt and Niklas Schmidt. How well the midfield trio can shackle Rani Khedira could set the stage as to which side gets a solid footing in the game.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Pavlenka; Veljkovic, Stark, Friedl; Schmid, Bittencourt, Gruev, Schmidt, Jung; Fullkrug, Ducksch
Key Stats
- Union Berlin have won their last four matches against Werder Bremen across all competitions.
- Werder Bremen were winless in 12 of their past 14 fixtures across all boards.
- The visitors have managed to win just twice on the road in the past seven months.
- Union have just two clean sheets in their last eight games.
- In a streak stretching back to last season, Union are unbeaten in 22 home league games (W14 D8). They could now become the first team to go a whole season unbeaten at home since Bayern and Eintracht Frankfurt in 2020/21.
Player to Watch
Niclas Fullkrug
Fullkrug is having a spectacular season. Currently the top scorer in the Bundesliga with 16 goals, Fullkrug has been clinical in front of goal. The German striker had scored 10 in his previous 15 matches to power his side to safety before his injury. At a time when pure strikers are rare and teams prefer a more fluid attack, the 6’2″ penalty-box specialist is almost an exception.
His stunning form even earned him a call-up to the Germany World Cup squad, where he has become a mainstay after scoring three goals in friendlies against Belgium and Peru. Saturday may prove to be his final game in green amid transfer interest from Borussia Monchengladbach, and he will look to sign off on a positive note. And suitors like West Ham United might be watching.
Prediction
Union Berlin 2-1 Werder Bremen
Union Berlin could have sealed the deal in the last round of fixtures, but they slipped to a 4-2 loss at Hoffenheim. However, the Berlin outfit’s wonderful season has been built on their impressive home form. So it will be so apt that they secure their place among Europe’s elite in front of their fans on Saturday.
Now it is all about getting the job done. They face a Werder Bremen team out of sorts and already on the beach, as evident from their recent results. Whilst nerves are to be expected from Union Berlin, home advantage should prove a huge factor here, giving those players much-needed energy and drive against Werder Bremen. With that in mind, The Hard Tackle backs the hosts to secure three points.
