Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Preview: Union Berlin vs. FC Koln - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 18 December 2023, 23:57
Union Berlin host FC Koln in a relegation battle in the Bundesliga's final matchday before the winter break on Wednesday evening.

One or both of the sides will finish for the break in the bottom three, depending on the result here, and the results of games involving Darmstadt and Mainz.

Match preview

Union and Koln come into the game level on points after both suffering disappointing away defeats at the weekend.

The two are on 10 points apiece, with Darmstadt and Mainz both below them in the automatic relegation spots a point further back.

The only thing keeping Union out of the relegation playoff place is the fact they have scored more goals, but they were unable to find the net in a 3-0 defeat to Bochum at the weekend.

Last season's Champions League qualifiers still have a game in hand and look most likely to be able to play their way out of trouble given the quality in their ranks, but that was a huge setback for new manager Nenad Bjelica.

The Croatian's first match in charge was a disappointing draw with 10-man Braga, but they followed that up with a win over Borussia Monchengladbach, and a courageous defeat to Real Madrid.

Spirits do appear to be higher though compared to when they went on a 16-game winless streak, in which time they lost 12 in a row, as they have since lifted themselves off the bottom and out of the drop zone.

They also now face a side they have a superb record against, as Union are unbeaten in 10 meetings since 2019, winning seven, but they did only draw 0-0 here in March.

Another low-scoring affair could be on the cards, as Koln have scored a meager 10 goals in the Bundesliga after 15 games this season - the lowest in the division.

Steffen Baumgart has been able to make his side harder to break down, but that has come at a cost in an attacking sense.

Koln have lost only three of their last eight games, but there have been four draws in that run too, with the solitary win coming against bottom-of-the-table Darmstadt.

That success took them off the bottom, and a draw with Mainz two weeks ago kept them out of the automatic relegation spots, but they were beaten at Freiburg on Sunday.

It was an even game until Julian Chabot's 62nd-minute dismissal, after which Freiburg were dominant, scoring their two goals and registering an xG of 4.28.

Another blank extended a run of just three goals in their last seven games, but two clean sheets at the start of December did contribute to four important points.

Union Berlin Bundesliga form:

L

L

L

D

W

L

Union Berlin form (all competitions):

L

D

D

W

L

L

FC Koln Bundesliga form:

D

D

L

W

D

L

Advert - content below:

Team News

Union left wing-back Robin Gosens is a doubt for this one with a knock, so Jerome Roussillon could start again in that position here.

On the opposite side, Christopher Trimmel will compete for a start with Josip Juranovic, while in the centre of defence, despite Danilho Doekhi's absence, Leonardo Bonucci is still yet to feature under Bjelica.

In midfield, Andras Schafer has been playing himself back into fitness after a long layoff, while Aissa Laidouni appears to have lost his place in the side under the new manager.

Chabot's red card at the weekend will see him suspended for this one, so Luca Kilian could come into the Koln back four to replace him.

Apart from that, the visitors could be largely unchanged, with Leart Paqarada, Faride Alidou and Sargis Adamyan still the only players absent.

Benno Schmitz came in for Rasmus Carstensen at the weekend, but the Genk loanee may reclaim his place at right-back for this one.

Union Berlin possible starting lineup:

Ronnow; Juranovic, Knoche, Diogo Leite, Roussillon; Khedira, Haberer; Hollerbach, Volland, Becker; Behrens

FC Koln possible starting lineup:

Schwabe; Carstensen, Hubers, Kilian, Heintz; Martel, Ljubicic; Thielmann, Kainz, Maina; Selke

We say: Union Berlin 1-0 FC Koln

Union have shown more promising signs under Bjelica, and they will want to quickly get over their woeful result at the weekend against a side they have a good recent record over.

Previews by email

Top News

14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Kazakhstan vs. Austria (Thursday, 3.00pm) Amid a three-way battle for promotion from League B Group 3, Austria aim to improve their prospects with a win on Thursday, when they meet Kazakhstan in the UEFA Nations League. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Athletico Paranaense can temporarily climb out of the Brasileiro Serie A relegation zone with a victory over Atletico Mineiro on Saturday at Arena de Baixada. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England interim manager Lee Carsley has played down Harry Kane's strong words about the withdrawal of many of his teammates, insisting he is looking forward to working with other players who also deserve a chance. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly fearful that Lisandro Martinez could spend an extended spell on the sidelines with the hip injury that has forced him to withdraw from Argentina duty. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sporting Lisbon wing-back Maximiliano Araujo has hinted that he hopes to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the near future. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Morocco will be looking to maintain their 100% record in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers when they visit the Stade de Franceville to take on Gabon on Friday. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk San Marino will hope to leapfrog Gibraltar and prevent them from earning promotion from their UEFA Nations League D group when they welcome them to Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle on Friday. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In their fifth UEFA Nations League C match of 2024-25, Northern Ireland are set to host Belarus on Friday at Windsor Park, with victory enough to guarantee a place in the top two. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Zimbabwe will be hoping to book their place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations when they face Kenya on matchday five of qualifying this Friday at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United could reportedly move for Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite and Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez during next summer's transfer window. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool should arguably be considered favourites for Premier League glory after they took charge of the title race last weekend when they beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield and moved five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Burnley could reportedly offer Ruud van Nistelrooy the chance to make a swift return to English football, with the Clarets interested in bringing him in as their new manager. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Cristiano Ronaldo is set to lead Portugal out in Porto when they face Poland in the UEFA Nations League on Friday night. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England captain Harry Kane has expressed his disappointment at the number of players to have withdrawn from the Three Lions squad for their UEFA Nations League fixtures with Greece and Republic of Ireland. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsi has been handed a call-up to the Spain squad for the national team's November international fixtures against Denmark and Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid youngster Marc Cucalon has been forced to retire from professional football at the age of 19 due to a serious knee injury which he suffered in the latter stages of 2022. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have revealed that Ansu Fati has been ruled out for around four weeks with a hamstring injury. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Portugal manager Roberto Martinez is facing a crisis at centre-back ahead of their UEFA Nations League clash with Poland in Porto on Friday night. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Portugal welcome Poland to Porto on matchday five of the UEFA Nations League on Friday night. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has said that it is "the right moment" for Ruben Amorim to arrive at Old Trafford, claiming that the Portuguese "did something very special" at Sporting Lisbon. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal defender Ben White has apparently gone under the knife to treat a joint issue in his knee, which will sideline the Englishman for around two months. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid have reportedly identified Al-Nassr centre-back Aymeric Laporte and Tottenham Hotspur right-back Pedro Porro as two of their top defensive targets for 2025. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly among three Premier League clubs interested in FC Nordsjaelland full-back Daniel Svensson. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly among three Premier League clubs interested in FC Nordsjaelland full-back Daniel Svensson. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Botswana will host Mauritania in their penultimate 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Francistown Stadium on Friday. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has provided a positive injury update ahead of potentially representing Belgium. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Scotland's stay in the UEFA Nations League's top tier could be brought to its end on Friday, when they face an almost must-win game against League A Group 1 rivals Croatia. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Lamine Yamal is among a number of absentees for Spain, as the national side conclude their 2024-25 UEFA Nations League group-stage campaign with fixtures against Denmark and Switzerland. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Spain will be bidding to secure top spot in Group 4 of League A in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League when they head to Denmark on Friday evening for what is shaping up to be an intriguing affair. 13 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion forward Danny Welbeck has claimed that speculation regarding a potential return to Manchester United is "irrelevant".