Borussia Dortmund will look to strengthen their position in the top four with a win over Union Berlin away from home.
14th-placed Union Berlin will look to continue their four-match unbeaten run in the league when they host fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund. The home team are in quite a comfortable position in the relegation battle, but the visitors do have a lot to worry about with their top four place under threat.
Union Berlin have accumulated 25 points in their 23 outings. While they are still involved in the relegation battle, they have an eight-point advantage over the 16th-placed team. As long as they avoid a winless streak from here, they should be safe.
Union Berlin have been unbeaten in each of their last four league games. They have won two and drawn two of those fixtures. The home team are heading into this one on the back of a 2-2 draw over Heidenheim. It was not really their best performance, and they will have to bring the A-Game to the table to get better of Dortmund.
Things have not really improved for the visitors since they lost the league title on the final day of last season. This time around, they are not even in the conversation for the title, and it seems they might even miss out on a top-four finish if things don’t improve from here on.
With 41 points in 23 outings, Borussia Dortmund are fourth on the points table, and they are closely followed by RB Leipzig who have 40 points to their name and also play on Saturday. If the team in yellow remain inconsistent until the end of the season, they might lose out on a top-four spot.
They have been winless in their last two league outings while winning only two out of their last five league games. Borussia Dortmund are heading into this one on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Hoffenheim. They will surely have to do much better than that to get a result here. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Union Berlin
There are no fresh injury concerns in the home team, and they will have a full squad to choose from. Kevin Volland and Diogo Leite are both back after serving their respective suspensions, but Robin Gosens is unavailable having picked up another booking last weekend.
The home team will go ahead with the 3-5-2 formation, where Frederik Ronnow will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Danilho Doekhi, Diogo Leite, and Kevin Vogt. They will look for a clean sheet and will have the support of Christopher Trimmel and Jerome Roussillon who will feature as the wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, skipper Rani Khedira will take a defensive role, while Lucas Tousart and Andras Schafer will be the two central midfielders. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball. In attack, Benedict Hollerbach will pair up with Kevin Volland.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Ronnow; Doekhi, Vogt, Diogo Leite; Trimmel, Khedira, Tousart, Schafer, Roussillon; Volland, Hollerbach
Borussia Dortmund
The visitors will be without the services of Gregor Kobel and Felix Nmecha. Meanwhile, Donyell Malen is suspended from taking part in this fixture following the booking last week. Meanwhile, they do have a major boost as Mats Hummels and Niklas Sule are both back and ready to start. Dortmund will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Alexander Meyer will be in goal.
Niklas Sule will take charge as the right-back, while Ian Maatsen will take care of the other flank. In the heart of the defence, Mats Hummels will pair up with Nico Schlotterbeck. The back four will look for a clean shee,t and they will get support from the midfield duo of Marcel Sabitzer and Emre Can, who will form the double pivot in the centre of the park.
Not only will they shield the backline, but the duo will also look to ensure they control the tempo of the game. Jadon Sancho and Julian Brandt will feature on the flanks. They will provide width to their attacks, while Marco Reus will be the attacking midfielder who will look to create chances for Niclas Fullkrug.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meyer; Sule, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Sabitzer, Can; Sancho, Reus, Brandt; Fullkrug
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund have won eight out of their last 12 matches against Union Berlin, who only have three wins.
- The visitors have lost three out of the four away matches against Union Berlin in the Bundesliga.
- After four consecutive defeats at home in the league, the Berlin-based club have been unbeaten in their last six home games.
- The home team have already matched their club record having picked up 11 points in their six matches in the second half of this season.
- Union Berlin have been unbeaten in their last four league games.
Player to Watch
Jadon Sancho
Sancho has done a decent job since returning to his Borussia Dortmund on loan until the end of the season. After falling out of favour at Manchester United, Sancho returned to Germany in January and has since featured in six Bundesliga matches.
He has contributed with two assists but the best of the 23-year-old winger is yet to come. And, with Dortmund’s place in the top four not secured, they will hope the England international brings out the best in him and helps them win this fixture.
Prediction
Union Berlin 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
The home team have been unbeaten in their last four league games, and these are already record numbers for them in the second half of the season. Union Berlin might not be the best team in the division but they are surely making it tick and will give Borussia Dortmund a fight for their money.
The visitors have been a bit inconsistent in the ongoing season, but the only way to ensure they stay inside the top four is by winning this fixture, and they do have enough firepower in their ranks to get it done. As a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.