Union Berlin – SV Darmstadt 98
The Bundesliga has returned to its usual rhythm after the winter break and fans are looking forward to weekly soccer. This 19th matchday once again sees some groundbreaking games on the schedule. Union Berlin and Darmstadt 98 face each other in the earlier Sunday match. Find out who will win in this match in our Union – Darmstadt betting tip.
Union had to take an involuntary break last weekend as their game against Mainz was called off due to weather conditions. During the week, there was then the make-up game against Bayern, which also had to be rescheduled a few weeks ago due to a snowstorm. The match against the record champions was narrowly lost 1:0. For them, it is still a matter of escaping the relegation places point by point, especially with victories against direct rivals such as SV Darmstadt.
Darmstadt secured a point in Frankfurt last weekend with their last-minute goal. Defender Christoph Klarer, who was converted into a striker in the final minutes against Frankfurt, scored the equalizer in the 95th minute. Nevertheless, the Lilies are still in the basement of the table and desperately need a win in the relegation battle. The duel is therefore a real basement battle, because for both it is a matter of bare survival
Union – Darmstadt info
- Date & Time: 28.01.2024, 3:30 pm
- Playing venue: Alte Försterei, Berlin
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 19
- TV broadcast: DAZN
Union Form & Balance Check
The Berliners are currently 15th in the table and, with 14 points, are only three points ahead of the relegation places. The only advantage is the catch-up match against direct rivals and table neighbors Mainz, which is still pending. During the week, there was also the catch-up match from matchday 13 against FC Bayern.
The Köpenickers were very disciplined defensively and hardly allowed Bayern any good chances. Only a minute of oversleeping directly after half-time cost the Berliners a point. The result of the last three games is one win, one draw and one defeat. A win against Darmstadt would be a very important step towards staying in the relegation places, as it would keep at least one club from the relegation places at a slightly greater distance
Coach off the rails
The big upset of the Berlin game during the week was Union coach Nenad Bjelica’s handball. The Croatian got carried away and grabbed Bayern pro Leroy Sané in the face during an altercation in which the coach did not want to give the ball away directly in front of the Berlin bench during a throw-in situation.
The assault was severely punished by the DFB and Bjelica, who was shown the red card after the incident, will be banned for three matches. Extremely bitter for Union, as the team will need their coach at this stage in order to survive in the battle for the league. This means Bjelica will miss his team in extremely important games against Darmstadt and Mainz, among others
Union facts & analysis
- Did you know that Union Berlin score 24% of their goals between the 0-15 minute? That’s the highest figure in the league.
- Union Berlin have failed to score in 4 of their 8 home games in the Bundesliga this season.
- When Union Berlin leads 1-0 in home matches, they win 75% of those matches.
Darmstadt Form & Balance Check
The draw against Frankfurt almost felt like a victory, so exuberantly did the team and their fans cheer after the game. Nevertheless, the Lilies have now been waiting eleven games for a win. Darmstadt have picked up two points from their last six games and lost four. Darmstadt currently remain in the red lantern and are level on points with Cologne and Mainz.
They are three points adrift of their opponents on the safety zone. A win for the Lilies would therefore be a huge step towards staying in the race against relegation. However, the next few weeks will not be easy, as Darmstadt have to face leaders Leverkusen and Gladbach after the Berlin game. So it’s all the more important to at least pick up a point against Union
Perfect debut
Shortly before their last match against Frankfurt, the Lilies secured the services of Hoffenheim loanee Julian Justvan. After just one training session with the team, the 25-year-old was in the starting line-up straight away and made an immediate impact. Around 24 hours after signing his contract, Justvan scored his first goal for the Darmstadt side and opened the scoring. The great debut gives hope, as the Lilies are in desperate need of more attacking power, especially against their direct rivals
Darmstadt facts & analysis
- Did you know that SV Darmstadt 98 score 27% of their goals between the 16-30 minute mark?
- SV Darmstadt 98 have not won in 12 games.
- With 4 red cards SV Darmstadt 98 leads the Bundesliga’s list of offenders.
Predicted line-up – last update on January 27, 2024
Union play in a 3-3-2-2 formation. Christopher Trimmel is likely to start at right-back due to Josip Juranovic’s injury. András Schäfer is still available as an option should the Iron want to make changes in midfield. In attack, we expect Kevin Volland, who had to be substituted against Bayern after a collision with Dayot Upamecano, to return to the starting eleven.
We expect Darmstadt to play in a 3-4-2-1 system. However, they also played one half with a back four against Frankfurt, so a change to the system could be made during the game. Christoph Zimmermann will return to the back line. He will be replaced by either Clemens Riedel or Matej Maglica on the bench.
Union – Darmstadt head-to-head comparison & stats
There haven’t been many games between Union and Darmstadt. In the Bundesliga, there has only been one meeting in the first half of this season. Prior to that, the clubs met six times in Germany’s second division. Union won two of those matches, while the Lilies ran out winners three times. The overall goal difference is 16:13 from Darmstadt’s point of view. The last match was won 4:1 by the Köpenickers. If we look at the last four games, both teams have won twice. The very first meeting took place in 2014 and ended in a 1-1 draw.
- In the last 7 duels, Union Berlin have left the pitch as winners twice. 2 games ended in a draw, SV Darmstadt 98 won 3 times. The goal difference for SV Darmstadt 98 is 16-13.
- Union Berlin have a proud record of 3 games without defeat against SV Darmstadt 98 at home.
- Union Berlin win 27% of halves, SV Darmstadt 98 win 18%.
- On average Union Berlin scores 2.4 goals against SV Darmstadt 98 and SV Darmstadt 98 scores 2 goals against Union Berlin.
- Union Berlin scores an average of 1.64 goals when playing at home and SV Darmstadt 98 scores an average of 1.42 goals when playing away (on average).
