Union Berlin will be desperate to end their 11-match losing streak when they host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Frankfurt, meanwhile, head to the capital having claimed seven points from their last three games.
Match preview
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Union Berlin have failed to even earn that many points across their opening nine games, with Urs Fischer's side enduring a miserable run of form which has caught everyone inside and outside of the club by surprise.
Having qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history last season, Die Eisernen were excited to cement their status as one of Germany's strongest sides since reaching the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history in 2019.
However, their 2-0 defeat away to Werder Bremen made it seven defeats on the spin in the Bundesliga, leaving them only one point clear of the relegation zone as a result of winning their opening two games of the campaign.
Urs Fischer's side have lost all three matches in Europe's elite competition, while they were also defeated 1-0 away to Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal in midweek, making it 11 successive losses in all competitions.
Perhaps even more concerning is that they have failed to score in each of their last four defeats, suggesting that confidence levels have reached an all-time low, with two tough tests against Frankfurt and league leaders Bayer Leverkusen to come prior to the upcoming international break.
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Frankfurt, on the other hand, appear to be finding their stride under Dino Toppmoller, with the fact that they were frustrated to only draw against Borussia Dortmund highlighting their recent progress.
Omar Marmoush's early brace gave Die Adler a commanding foothold in the match, but Marcel Sabitzer pulled one back for the visitors on the stroke of half time. Youssoufa Moukoko brought the visitors level, but Fares Chaibi sent Deutsche Bank Park's home fans into ecstasy by restoring Frankfurt's lead with little more than 20 minutes remaining on the clock. However, Julian Brandt capped a pulsating encounter to claim a point for Dortmund, with both sides clearly giving their all during an enthralling encounter.
Frankfurt returned to winning ways by dispatching second-tier side Viktoria Koln in the DFB-Pokal in midweek, with Toppmoller likely to be keen to see his side go deep into Germany's domestic cup and the Europa Conference League this season. Having won the former in 2018 before lifting the Europa League four years later, there is a trophy-winning mentality within the club now, after decades of comparative starvation in this regard.
However, league form always remains the priority at this early stage of the campaign, and Frankfurt need to start putting more wins on the board if they are to claim a top six-finish. Toppmoller has clearly made them tough to beat with only one defeat to their name, but five draws from nine matches has allowed the top six sides to move at least four points clear of them, and they could scarcely ask for a better opportunity to claim all three points than against Union Berlin on current form.
Team News
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Union Berlin will be without Rani Khedira through suspension after the midfielder's red card against Werder Bremen. Alex Kral will likely replace him at the base of midfield, with Aissa Laidouni also an option to beef up the hosts' engine room, especially with Janik Haberer suffering with illness in recent days.
Danilho Doekhi, Josip Juranovic and Andras Schafer are all ruled out through injury, but legendary defender Leonardo Bonucci appears to have won his place back after starting in Bremen last weekend.
Frankfurt, meanwhile, will remain without Simon Simoni and club captain Sebastian Rode due to elbow and calf injuries respectively. Kevin Trapp is also doubtful due to a back issue, with Jens Grahl on guard to deputise for him.
Mario Gotze could return to the starting XI after only being used from the bench against his former club last weekend, with Ansgar Knauff likely to move into a wing-back role or drop down to the bench in order to accommodate the 2014 World Cup winner.
Union Berlin possible starting lineup:
Ronnow; Bonucci, Knoche, Leite; Trimmel, Laidouni, Kral, Aaronson, Gosens; Becker, Behrens
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Grahl; Tuta, Koch, Pacho; Buta, Larsson, Skhiri, Max; Gotze, Chaibi; Marmoush
We say: Union Berlin 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Union Berlin's stretch of losses has reached crisis levels, with Fischer facing significant pressure for the first time since he became the club's manager in 2018. They will be desperate to avoid another defeat on Saturday.
Frankfurt head into this match in decent form, but they are guilty of drawing too many matches, while Trapp's potential absence is a major cause for concern. We can envisage them sharing the spoils once again, which would probably not disappoint either manager too much.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Brett Curtis
