Union Berlin vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Stadion An der Alten Försterei is the venue as Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt go head-to-head in a lopsided Bundesliga encounter.

Despite leading Union Berlin to their maiden Bundesliga promotion and subsequently helping them qualify for the Champions League against all the odds, manager Urs Fischer is walking a tightrope. Battling on two highly competitive fronts has proved counterproductive, with ‘Die Eisernen’ coming into this round on an embarrassing 11-match losing streak across all competitions, bookended by a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Stuttgart in midweek DFB-Pokal action. Not only are they experiencing a two-month wait for three points in the Bundesliga, but they’re also without a goal in their last four competitive outings. Frankfurt’s visit could be just what the doctor ordered for Union Berlin to finally catch a break as they’re unbeaten in three consecutive top-flight H2Hs they’ve hosted (W2, D1) since losing their first-ever such meeting in 2019.

In the meantime, Eintracht Frankfurt wasted a two-goal lead twice in last weekend’s enthralling 3-3 home draw against Borussia Dortmund but responded well with a 2-0 DFB-Pokal win over lower-league Viktoria Koln in midweek. Interestingly, a 2-0 defeat at Wolfsburg in late September remains the only blemish on an otherwise almost-flawless Bundesliga record in 2023/24 (W3, D5), which keeps ‘Die Adler’ flirting with the European spots at the start of this round. However, Dino Toppmöller’s men haven’t fared well on the road this season, going winless on their first three league travels (D2, L1) before pulling off a 3-1 victory at TSG Hoffenheim last time out. That marked their first Bundesliga triumph away from home since November 2022 (D7, L7).