Union Berlin vs. Freiburg
Ritsu Doan could return for Freiburg as the Japan international and his UEFA Champions League-chasing club head to the capital on Saturday looking to leapfrog their Matchday 32 opponents Union Berlin and move into the Bundesliga’s top four
With the teams locked together on 56 points, Union’s slightly superior goal difference (+4) has them in fourth place coming into the game in the capital. A win would not only take Union to within touching distance of Champions League group stage football next season, but would also set a club record of 17 victories and 59 points in a single top-flight campaign. Urs Fischer has a full squad to choose from with Portugal U21 centre-back Diogo Leite available after sitting out last week’s 1-0 loss at Augsburg due to suspension. US striker Jordan – with four goals so far in his debut Bundesliga season – could be recalled to the starting line-up, after beginning the Augsburg defeat on the bench.
While Union’s form has dipped in recent weeks — taking just five points from a possible 15 – Freiburg have been able to make up ground. Christian Streich’s men rattled off three straight wins before also losing 1-0 — at home to RB Leipzig – last weekend, passing up the opportunity to move ahead of their Matchday 32 opponents. Convincing 4-1 winners in the team’s first meeting this season, Freiburg should have Roland Sallai back after sitting out Matchday 31 for unspecified reasons. Doan (knee) and Philipp Lienhart (illness) remain doubts however, as the Black Forest outfit seek to become the first away team since Borussia Dortmund on 13 February 2022 to win at Union.
Match stats
- Sheraldo Becker tops the Union scoring charts with nine Bundesliga goals, although six of them came in the first seven matchdays of the season. The Suriname international was last on target in the Matchday 29 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
- Union are on a club-record run of 21 Bundesliga home games without defeat (W13, D8).
- If they win, Union will also set new club records for wins (17) and points (59) in a single Bundesliga campaign.
- Freiburg’s 13-goal top scorer Vincenzo Grifo grabbed his first Bundesliga hat-trick in the reverse fixture – inside the first 20 minutes! Two of them came from the penalty spot.
- Freiburg have scored the most goals from set pieces in the Bundesliga this season (19), followed by Union (15). The two clubs are also joint-top on clean sheets (12, along with Wolfsburg).
- Streich is currently the longest-serving coach in the Bundesliga – having been in charge of Freiburg since December 2011 – while his Union counterpart Fischer is second on the list (summer 2018). At 57, they are also the oldest coaches in the division.
Probable teams
Union: Ronnow – Doekhi, Knoche, Leite – Juranovic, Laidouni, Khedira, Haberer, Roussillon – Behrens, Becker
Out: –
Doubtful: –
Coach: Urs Fischer
Freiburg: Flekken – Kübler, Ginter, Gulde, Günter (c) – Eggestein, Höfler – Weißhaupt, Höler, Grifo – Gregoritsch
Out: Kyereh (cruciate ligament)
Doubtful: Doan (knee), Lienhart (illness)
Coach: Christian Streich
