The Berlin derby takes place on Friday evening as Hertha welcome Union to the Olympiastadion. The two sides have had a contrasting start to the season, with Hertha the wrong end of the table while Union are flying.
Berlin Derby – Bragging Rights at Stake in the German Capital
What to Expect from the Berlin Derby
Hertha were expecting big things this year under the stewardship of Bruno Labbadia, but have suffered five defeats from their opening nine Bundesliga games. As for Union, they have made a blistering start to the new campaign, losing just once and finding themselves on 16 points – eight above their city rivals.
Labbadia arrived in the German capital during the postponement of football as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The west Berlin club saw the opportunity for a change of manager during the lockdown.
And it proved a popular choice. Hertha went four games unbeaten from their first four games after the restart, which included a win in this fixture.
However, results have started to take a tumble and the former Wolfsburg manager has picked up just two wins from their opening nine league games this season.
As for Union, last season was a debut top-flight campaign for the club and they ended it level on 41 points with their city rivals. Die Eisernen won their first-ever top-flight meeting between the two sides when Sebastian Polter scored a 90th-minute winner from the penalty spot, but it was Die Alte Dame and Labbadia that got revenge with a 4-0 victory at a behind-closed-doors Olympiastadion.
Union are the In-Form Team
Urs Fischer’s side appear to be the dark horses this season. Union have lost just once in the league and find themselves just six points behind the league leaders, Bayern Munich.
Despite an opening day defeat against Augsburg, Die Eisernen are unbeaten in the last eight Bundesliga games. Defensively, Fischer’s side has been strong. Despite conceding three in their last fixture – a 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt – only four teams have conceded fewer goals in the league this season.
Hertha Needing the Win
A win for Hertha is important. A win against Augsburg on November, 7 was just the first win in eight games. A win in the derby could be the sort of result to kickstart their sluggish season.
In the last six meetings between the two sides, there have been two draws and two wins from either side. Both teams have recorded wins in the opponent’s venue.
Team News
Top scorer Matheus Cunha has already scored seven goals from ten games while winger Dodi Lukebakio has netted four times. Jhon Cordoba has added three goals but he is the only member of the squad currently out injured.
Despite the strong start for Union, they haven’t been without their injury woes. At the moment, Joel Pohjanpalo, Christian Gentner and Anthony Ujah are all sidelined.
Summer signing Max Kruse took his tally to six for the season with a brace against Frankfurt, and the striker has also added five assists. Union have a number of players with two goals, including defensive duo Marvin Friedrich and Nico Schlotterbeck.
Prediction: Hertha 1-2 Union
Hertha managed to tighten up their leaky defence last time out while an unusually resolute Union defence was put the test against Frankfurt. With both sides capable of goals there should be some for both sides, but we have chosen for Union to nick the result in a tight Berlin Derby.
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