Union Berlin vs Freiburg

Stadion An der Alten Försterei sets the stage for a top-six Bundesliga six-pointer between Union Berlin and Freiburg.

Following an impressive Bundesliga start that saw Union Berlin suffer just one defeat in the opening seven rounds (W4, D2), their season has descended into chaos. Back-to-back league games without a win (D1, L1), including a 3-0 demolition at Bayern Munich last weekend, coupled with a shock DFB-Pokal exit to third-tier Arminia Bielefeld, heightened the pressure on new manager Bo Svensson. Heading into proceedings amid their second-longest winless streak in 2024, ‘Die Eisernen’ will rely on the division’s third-best defense to bail them out of trouble, with only the top-two teams conceding fewer goals than Union Berlin’s eight thus far. However, goals have been at a premium for the home side as only newcomers St. Pauli have netted fewer goals than them (9).

In the meantime, visiting Freiburg shared the spoils with Svensson’s former club Mainz last weekend (0-0), completing a see-saw sequence in the Bundesliga (W1, D1, L1). The visitors at least navigated their DFB-Pokal tie against second-tier Hamburger SV (2-1) in that period, bolstering their spirits ahead of this clash. Level on points with fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen, ‘Breisgau-Brasilianer’ must find their footing on the road to increase their top-four chances after blowing hot and cold across their first four Bundesliga travels (W2, L2). With three of those four results (wins/losses) seeing the winner on the day keep a clean sheet, breaking the deadlock could be paramount. That’s not least because Freiburg have failed to beat Union Berlin in all five previous top-flight away H2Hs (D2, L3).