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Union Berlin vs. Hertha BSC
It’s finally kicking off again – this weekend sees the start of the new 2022/23 Bundesliga season. We can expect several cracker to kick things off, one of which is the Berlin derby between Union Berlin and Hertha BSC. Kick-off is on Saturday at prime time at 3:30 pm. However, the first match of the season already took place last weekend, when the first round of the DFB Cup was played.
Union fought their way through extra time against Chemnitz, Hertha did the Hertha thing again and were eliminated in a penalty shootout against Braunschweig after a victory they thought was safe. So the season starts with another disappointment and the team is under enormous pressure. But Union also did anything but convince against the Saxons and were admonished by manager Ruhnert. Nevertheless, they go into this derby as slight favourites. Whether we think they will do justice to this role, you can find out in our Union – Hertha tip.
Union – Hertha info:
– Date & Time: 06.08.2022, 15:30 Uhr
– Venue: Stadion an der Alten Försterei, Berlin
– Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 1
– TV broadcast: Sky Sport
Union Form & Balance Check
Maybe the narrow victory in the cup wasn’t such a bad thing for Union, because by now at the latest it should be clear to everyone that they need to step it up a notch. The performance was erratic, inconsistent and Chemnitz had far too easy a chance to score. This is actually uncharacteristic for the Eisernen, because the club is actually characterised by its performance as a united team. However, we would be quite relaxed about it, as Union has already shown what strong performances they are capable of.
Convincing preparation and sensible new additions
In the preparation, Union lost only one game, won five. In addition, those responsible have spent a lot of money by their standards, spending almost 13 million euros on new arrivals. The king transfer is the striker Siebatcheu, who was signed from Bern for six million euros. The US-American already scored the important equaliser against Chemnitz. On the other hand, important players were also lost, with Awoniyi and Prömel, Union lost two cornerstones of the last season. We are very curious to see whether Union will play such a strong season again and qualify for Europe.
Union facts & analysis
– Lost only two home games last season (Bayern and Dortmund).
– In the preparation they have lost only one game
– Never won an opening game in the Bundesliga
Hertha form & balance check
Although Hertha just barely escaped relegation, there is already a lot of unrest at the club again. The early elimination in the cup was not exactly conducive in this regard. Hertha has been active in the transfer market, but important positions such as central defence or central midfield are still in need of improvement. The preparation has not exactly shown progress either, the three test matches before the cup match were all lost. Despite the changes announced by Fredi Bobic, there is still a lot of work to be done and it looks like Hertha will have another difficult season ahead of them.
Can Sandro Schwarz stabilise the team?
The big shortcoming last year was the lack of consistency. They almost never won several games in a row, conceded countless goals and sometimes delivered questionable performances. Under Sandro Schwarz, all of these problems should now be remedied, but first and foremost the team has to be more united. Actually, the attitude was right against Braunschweig, but the retreating behaviour was indisputable. Braunschweig repeatedly created dangerous counter-attacking chances and scored four goals. Now it’s the new coach’s job to get these problems under control.
Hertha facts & analysis
– Scored only 13 goals away from home last season.
– Hertha have to start the season away from home for the fourth time in a row
– Record in last three opening matches: 1S, 1U, 1N
Predicted line-up – last update on 4 August 2022
Even though Union’s performance in Chemnitz was not convincing, the team from the cup match is currently the best possible. It is therefore likely that Urs Fischer will send the same eleven into the race. Newcomer Thorsby could possibly start in place of Khedira, but it is uncertain whether the Swede will be thrown straight into the deep end.
We don’t expect many changes for the visitors either, only Lucas Tousart will have to be replaced after his yellow card on the last matchday of the last relegation. Newcomer Sunjij could start on the six. Kanga will be in the squad for the first time, but we don’t think Sandro Schwarz will immediately rely on the young newcomer in the derby.
Our derby week before FCUBSC is in full swing: With a lot of ball work & communication our boys toiled on the pitch on Wednesday. ⚽️
✍️ https://t.co/TnCZaIiIL1 ⬅️TogetherHertha HaHoHe pic. twitter.com/myJDxZaFdZ
– Hertha BSC (@HerthaBSC) August 3, 2022
Union – Hertha direct comparison & Statistics
The Berlin derby has already taken place eleven times in official matches. Union have won five of them, while Hertha have won three. The other three games ended in a draw.
– Hertha have never won at the Alte Försterei in the Bundesliga.
– In the last season, Union won both comparisons.
– Four times this encounter has been scheduled for a Saturday, four times Union have walked off the pitch victorious
