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Union Berlin – FSV Mainz
The DFB Cup is already yesterday’s news. This weekend it’s back to league action. The Bundesliga has some interesting matches on matchday 19. On Saturday afternoon, two teams will meet that were still in action in the DFB Cup during the week. 1. FSV Mainz 05 travels to the east of the capital and meets Union Berlin. Find out who has more reserves of strength after the English week in our Union vs Mainz tip.
Union Berlin had an extremely good start to the season. After a short interim low before the winter break, Union came back red hot and started the new year with four competitive match victories. On Tuesday, the Köpenicker also beat VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 in the cup and are now through to the quarter-finals.
Mainz 05 are currently in a safe midfield position in the table. Bo Svensson’s team, however, had a slight dip in form before and after the winter break and went six games in a row without a win in the Bundesliga. At the weekend, however, the 05ers managed to break free with an impressive 5:2 victory against Bochum. In Wednesday’s cup match against Bayern, however, Mainz were without a chance and lost 0:4.
Union – Mainz Info:
– Date & Time: 04.02.2023, 15:30 Uhr
– Venue: Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Berlin
– Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 19
– TV broadcast: Sky
Union Form & Balance Check
Last season, the European journey for Union Berlin already ended in the group stage of the Conference League. The Köpenicker only finished third in their group behind Feyenoord Rotterdam and Slavia Prague. This season, one tier higher up, things went better for Union. In February, the club from Köpenick will face Ajax Amsterdam in the intermediate round of the Europa League.
In addition to the European successes, things are also looking even better in the Bundesliga at the moment than last year. The Köpenickers are currently Bayern’s number one pursuer and are only one point behind the record champions. Urs Fischer’s team has won three games in a row in the Bundesliga so far after the winter break. On Tuesday, Union also advanced to the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup with a 2-1 victory over Wolfsburg.
The Alte Försterei as a competitive advantage
The Alte Försterei is a very special venue. Only 22,012 spectators fit into the stadium in Köpenick. The close and electrifying atmosphere seems to give the Eisernen a special home advantage. Union have only conceded one home defeat this season. On the first matchday of the Europa League, the Eisernen lost 0:1 against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.
Especially the defence acts a bit better in the home stadium. Union’s opponents simply cannot find a way through at the Alte Försterei and despair of the Köpenick concrete. So far this season, Union has played 13 competitive games at home. In these 13 matches, FCU have conceded only nine goals.
Union facts & analysis
– Currently second in the Bundesliga table.
– Second best defence in the Bundesliga (together with Wolfsburg)
– Still without a home defeat this season
Mainz Form & Balance Check
Mainz 05 have now been in the Bundesliga without interruption for 14 seasons. The Rhineland-Palatinate side have also been on the road in Europe on a number of occasions. However, the goal for Mainz 05 season after season is only to stay in the league.
This season, however, things are looking good again as far as the fight against relegation is concerned. Mainz are currently in eleventh place in the Bundesliga and seven points ahead of Bochum, who are currently in 16th place. After coach Bo Svensson’s team failed to win their last six games in the first half of the season, Mainz managed to break free at the weekend with a 5:2 victory over Bochum. In the DFB Cup during the week, however, it was not enough for a surprise against Bayern.
The mediocrity of the league
Mainz 05 is currently in the secure midfield of the Bundesliga. The 05ers are not in great need of relegation and will presumably no longer be involved in the fight for Europe. Mainz is also mediocre in terms of goals conceded and goals scored.
Mainz’s style of play is very physical. The players are supposed to win the ball back and then quickly get into a promising position. Sometimes they also play a little harder. The 05 team has the third most fouls in the entire Bundesliga.
Mainz facts & analysis
– Currently in eleventh place in the Bundesliga table.
– Already four away wins in the season
– Top scorer is Karim Onisiwo with seven goals
Predicted line-up – last update on 2 February 2023
Union will again start the game in their usual 3-1-4-2. Khedira will be the central figure on the six in midfield. Newcomer Aïssa Laïdouni could make his starting eleven debut. Behrens has been convincing in his recent appearances and will probably start next to Becker. Urs Fischer will only have to do without András Schäfer and Morten Thorsby due to injury.
Mainz are well-rehearsed in the team and will probably play with a 3-4-1-2 again. Onisiwo wants to build on his performance against Bochum. Jonathan Burkhardt, Marlon Mustapha and Robin Zentner are still missing due to injury. Coach Bo Svensson saw the red card in the cup against Bayern, but will still be able to stand on the sidelines for the 05ers in the league.
Union – Mainz direct comparison & statistics
There have been 13 duels between the two teams so far. Mainz and Union won five games each. There have also been three draws. Most recently, however, Mainz drew the short straw. The first leg between the two clubs ended 0-0 in August.
– The two teams are separated by 13 points in the league.
– Union Berlin have always scored in their last eleven games
– Union Berlin win only 38% of their halves
– When Mainz lead 1-0 in away games, they win 77% of matches
