Union Berlin – VfB Stuttgart
After the second international break this season, club soccer finally returns this weekend. On Saturday, all soccer fans can look forward to a Bundesliga conference with five matches. An exciting duel will take place in the east of the capital. There, two teams will meet whose form could not be more different. Find out who will prevail at the Alte Försterei in our Union – Stuttgart tip.
While most fans were not necessarily looking forward to the international matches, this probably looked different for the supporters of the Eisernen. The Köpenicker did not get any points in the league since August and even lost the last seven competitive games in a row. After the short break, the FCU now wants to really attack again in the league.
Stuttgart, meanwhile, is in a completely different position. The Swabians have won their last five games in a row and are currently in second place in the league. Most recently, VfB also won 3:1 against VfL Wolfsburg before the international break.
Union – Stuttgart info:
- Date & Time: 10/21/2023, 3:30 p.m.
- Game venue: Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Berlin
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 8
- TV broadcast: Sky
Union Form & Balance Check
1. FC Union Berlin has experienced a real run of bad luck in the recent past. On the one hand, the Eisernen conceded the decisive goal in injury time in each of the first two Champions League games and are thus without points in last place in their group. On the other hand, things are not going well in the Bundesliga either.
Before the international break, FCU kept up with Borussia Dortmund for a long time, but still lost 4-2 in the end. This or something like this was also the case for the Eisernen in previous weeks. Union has now gone five games without a point. In the table, the Köpenicker thus find themselves in 13th place
Geal flood at the Wuhle
The Eisernen’s defense is still far from as solid as it was last season. Union Berlin already conceded 14 goals, a number that has never been on the Köpenicker’s conceded account in Bundesliga history after seven matchdays.
In the previous season, however, FCU had the best defense in the entire league. At the end of the season, the Eisernen only conceded 38 goals. Moreover, the previous number of 14 shots in the own box reached Union only after 13 match days and not as now already after seven.
Union facts & analysis
- In 13th place in the Bundesliga
- Lost 2:4 against Dortmund before the international break
- The best defense of the past Bundesliga season
Stuttgart form & balance check
Few expected VfB Stuttgart to have an outstanding start to the season, especially after their long battle against relegation to the 2. Bundesliga last season. Nevertheless, the team from the Neckar, led by coach Sebastian Hoeneß, is currently disproving all skeptics and occupies second place in the table after seven games.
The Swabians are in truly outstanding form and already have more points under their belt at this early stage than they did in the entire last Hinrunde. Only in the 1:5 defeat in Leipzig did VfB give up points and they also defeated VfL Wolfsburg 3:1 in their last match.
Guirassy is unstoppable
Serhou Guirassy is currently the man of the moment in Swabia, but also throughout the Bundesliga. The attacker has already scored 13 times in the opponent’s goal, a feat that has never been achieved by any player in the history of the Bundesliga after seven matchdays. In addition, no Stuttgart player has ever scored so many times in a complete first half of the season.
The Guinean-French striker has also finished five games with more than one goal after seven matchdays, which is also a new record. No one could have predicted the 27-year-old’s outstanding form like this. However, Guirassy’s rate was already very good last season, when he scored eleven goals in 22 games for VfB.
Stuttgart facts & analysis
- Won 3:1 against Wolfsburg before the international break.
- In 2nd place in the Bundesliga
- Second best offense in the Bundesliga
Predicted lineup – last update on October 20, 2023
Union will again operate in 3-5-2 despite the misery. In defense, Robin Knoche will probably return to the starting eleven after his injury. Rani Khedira is also fit again, but will probably come off the bench for now.
For Stuttgart, it will come down to the 4-2-3-1 again. Ito and Silas returned late from the international trip and will therefore probably not be in the starting eleven. On the right side, Pascal Stenzel will defend again, as Josha Vagnoman will continue to be out injured.
Union – Stuttgart direct comparison & statistics
The two teams met for the first time in the 2. Bundesliga in the 2016/17 season. At that time, Stuttgart won at home and played to a draw at the Alte Försterei. Since then, however, VfB has not recorded a win against the Eisernen. In the preseason, the Swabians lost both games against Union.
- Stuttgart’s last win against Union was on 04/24/2017.
- Union is on the last place and Stuttgart is on the first place in the form table.
- Stuttgart has never won at the Alte Försterei
