With personnel concerns on the defensive, Union Berlin will be visiting FC Augsburg on Friday evening. The Bavarian Swabians are also extremely successful, somewhat overshadowed by the sensational teams Leverkusen, Stuttgart and Heidenheim.
Five facts about the game
Kevin Vogt has not scored a goal in 266 Bundesliga games in a row, equaling Dietmar Schwager’s previous negative record and can become the sole record holder in Augsburg. The Köpenickers have not won against Augsburg in seven games (four defeats, three draws) Augsburg are in place Seven is just as far away for Union as Cologne in the direct relegation spot 17 (seven points each). The Berliners scored 15 points in the second half of the season with just eight goals. Only Darmstadt, who only scored four points in Augsburg, scored so rarely in the second half of the season Union have to serve two suspensions: Robin Gosens is missing after his yellow-red card against Leverkusen, Lucas Tousart received his fifth yellow card
This is how things are going in terms of sport for Augsburg
Since the Dane Jess Thorup took over as coach in the first half of the season, FC Augsburg has been successful. At the start of the season, under coach Enrico Maaßen, it looked like another season in the relegation battle. After seven games, the Swabians were in 15th place (one point behind Union Berlin).
But the 54-year-old Thorup formed a unit out of the team in a difficult situation, says Irina Fuchs, author at the Augsburg fan blog “Rosenau Gazette”: “A lot has to do with the head. And I think Thorup has a hand in that We had long, good conversations with everyone.” Several professionals have blossomed under the new coach and he has “kissed many players awake.” She cites Fredrik Jensen as an example. The Finnish midfielder is already playing his seventh season in Augsburg, but for a long time he was largely a supplementary player “or was injured”. But now “he is known for his extremely good standards and has an important role in the system,” said Fuchs.
Thorup also prescribed a functioning back four for Augsburg, who were previously notoriously weak defensively. The offensive has also been showing momentum recently: 45 goals are already three more than in the entire previous season. The 6-0 win against Darmstadt 98 was memorable, when Augsburg was five goals ahead after less than half an hour.
Recently, however, the club from Bavaria has recorded a small dip in performance. After a 1-1 draw against 1. FC Köln, the team lost 3-1 at TSG Hoffenheim.
“For me, Union Berlin is a company and not a family, as is often said”
1. FC Union marched from the 2nd league to the Champions League in four years. Filmmaker Annekatrin Hendel accompanied part of this journey with her camera. In the interview she talks about the film “Union – The Best of All Days”, which is now in cinemas.more
That moves the fans
After five years of constant relegation battles, it is now “a very comfortable situation that we haven’t had in Augsburg for a long time,” says Irina Fuchs. FC Augsburg is currently in seventh place before the duel against Union Berlin on Friday at 8:30 p.m. – six points behind the supposedly last safe European Cup place, which Eintracht Frankfurt currently occupies.
But it is quite possible that seventh place will also be eligible for international business, provided the designated new German champions Bayer Leverkusen win the DFB Cup final against second division team 1. FC Kaiserslautern. And even in eighth place, a club could still slip into the Conference League if the Bundesliga secures an additional starting place for the Champions League, which will be expanded to 36 teams in the coming season.
All theory. The people of Augsburg are currently not talking about a possible qualification for the European Cup, at least not out loud, says Fuchs. The past few years have been humbling. In Augsburg they are grateful for a season away from the relegation zone. “We are happy about the football the team is currently playing.” For years, Augsburg’s style of play was considered unattractive and sometimes sedate. The “motivated, grippy, bilious” underdog football from the first years after promotion to the Bundesliga in 2011 has now been lost, says Fuchs. With Thorup there was a jolt through the team and many fans were enjoying the new style of play again.
And if that leads to qualification for the European Cup, even modest Augsburg fans wouldn’t mind.
“I didn’t understand Flupp at the beginning”
Haris Tabakovic is currently tearing apart the 2nd league in the Hertha BSC jersey. In the interview he reveals what makes him so strong at the moment, why he almost became a banker and why he likes “Fluppe” better than “Jesus”.more
Union has to pay attention to this player
Unsurprisingly, as Fuchs says, Ermedin Demirović is the central figure in the team. “An incredibly important player with the many, many goals he scored,” says Fuchs. The team captain has already scored 15 times and added nine goals. Only three Bundesliga players have collected more scorer points so far this season. In addition, the Bosnian international is considered a team-serving, strong attacker who actually deserves the perhaps somewhat overused label of “difference player”.
Since coach Jess Thorup took office, it has been the entire team that has impressed Fuchs. “The team is able to bounce back again, something that was missing for a long time or very often in the previous years.”
However, it is unclear who is fit for the game against Union Berlin. At least Thorup only said in advance about the regular players in question Kevin Mbabu, Kristijan Jakic, Fredrik Jensen and Iago that they were trying everything “so that the players are hopefully ready”.
That’s what the coaches say
Nenad Bjelica (1. FC Union Berlin): “Augsburg are a strong opponent. They play direct football and have a very good attack. With Demirović they have a striker who is incredibly dangerous. Tietz is also very unpleasant. They have this “They put in great performances in the spring and deserve to be where they are.”
Jess Thorup (FC Augsburg): “Our focus is only on Union Berlin – we want to get three points on Friday. We know our remaining program, but that doesn’t play a role in our current considerations. Union have done well in the last few games. They come to us with a lot of effort and physicality, but we will try to beat them with our strengths.”
Union Berlin loses against Leverkusen when they are outnumbered
1. FC Union Berlin expectedly lost against Bundesliga leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The Iron Men held the zero for a long time, but ended the first half outnumbered and conceded a penalty goal.more
This is how Union could play
Union coach Nenad Bjelica has some personnel concerns before the trip to Augsburg. Both Robin Gosens (yellow-red suspension) and Lucas Tousart (yellow suspension) have to take a forced break against the Bavarian Swabians. In addition, there are numerous absences due to injuries. Among other things, the two full-backs Jerome Roussillon and Josip Juranovic as well as attacker Yorbe Vertessen are missing.
Things are starting to get tight for the Köpenick team, especially on the left side. It may be just right that Janik Haberer returned to team training this week. The 30-year-old had been out for several weeks with an undisclosed injury and was now back on the training pitch wearing a black protective helmet. “He feels comfortable with a helmet and is certainly an option for the left-back position,” Bjelica explained at Thursday’s press conference.
In attack, Kevin Volland could return to the starting line-up after he was injured last weekend against Leverkusen and was not in the squad. “He was now able to train normally. We are happy that he is back,” says the coach.
Union’s possible starting eleven: Rönnow – Doekhi, Vogt, Leite – Trimmel, Khedira, Haberer – Aaronson, Schäfer – Volland, Hollerbach
Prognosis
The opponent expert’s tip: Irina Fuchs is tipping for a 1-1 draw against Union Berlin, which is struggling with personnel.
The editor’s tip: 2:2.
Broadcast: The Day, April 11, 2024, 6 p.m
