Borussia Dortmund will host Union Berlin at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday, looking to get their Bundesliga campaign back on track.
Borussia Dortmund have failed to win three of the last four matches in all competitions, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly vs Union Berlin on Saturday. The Black and Yellows are currently 11th in the league table, and a club of their stature should be doing better.
The hosts were expected to fight for the league title at the start of the season, but things have not gone according to plan for them. The home fans will expect a strong reaction from the player, and it will be interesting to see if they can step up and deliver.
Meanwhile, Union Berlin are in disappointing form as well. The visitors have picked up just two wins from their last six matches in all competitions, and they are 13th in the league table. Both teams are quite evenly matched on current form, and this is likely to be a close contest. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
Felix Nmecha is the only player ruled out this week. Borussia Dortmund will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Union Berlin, with Gregor Kobel in goal.
Julian Ryerson and Ramy Bensebaini will start in the full-back areas. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Emre Can and Pascal Gross will add physicality and defensive cover to the side from the middle of the park. Julian Brandt will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will carve out opportunities for his teammates.
Karim Adeyemi and Jamie Gittens will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side from the flanks. Finally, Serhou Guirassy will lead the line for Borussia Dortmund vs Union Berlin on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Gross; Adeyemi, Brandt, Gittens; Guirassy
Union Berlin
The visitors do not have any notable injury concerns ahead of this game. They should be able to field a full-strength lineup at the weekend.
Union Berlin are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Borussia Dortmund, with Frederik Ronnow in goal. Josip Juranovic and Tom Rothe will start as the full-backs, and they will look to keep things compact defensively. They will look to hit Dortmund on the break as well. Danilho Doekhi will form the central defensive partnership alongside Diogo Leite.
As for the midfield unit, Lucas Tousart and Rani Khedira will start in the double pivot, and they will look to protect the defensive unit and break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Tim Skarke and Jeong Woo-yeong will start on the flanks, and they will look to add pace, flair and creativity from the wide areas. Benedict Hollerbach will reprise the attacking midfielder role, and he will look to open up opportunities for his teammates. Andrej Ilic will spearhead the Union Berlin attack against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ronnow; Juranovic, Doekhi, Leite, Rothe; Tousart, Khedira; Skarke, Hollerbach, Jeong; Ilic
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund have won their last five home matches vs Union Berlin in all competitions.
- Borussia Dortmund have scored at least two goals in their last six home matches vs Union Berlin in all competitions.
- 19 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Borussia Dortmund have picked up just one win from the last six Bundesliga matches.
- Union Berlin have picked up just two wins from the last six Bundesliga matches.
Player to Watch
Jamie Gittens
The Borussia Dortmund attacker has done quite well this season, and he is our key player to watch out for. He will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third and get on the school sheet himself. The home side will depend on him to open up the away defence. It remains to be seen whether Gittens can make a defining impact in the final third and help his side grind out all three points.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Union Berlin
Neither side have been at their best recently, and this is likely to be a close contest. It will be difficult to separate the two teams. However, the home team have more quality in the attack, and that could give them an edge here. Both sides are likely to get the score sheet here, but Borussia Dortmund have enough quality to grind out a narrow win. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Niko Kovac and his charges.
