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Bundesliga | Gameweek 29
Apr 9, 2022 at 5.30pm UK
Olympic Stadium
UB

Hertha Berlin
1 - 4
Union Berlin

Baumgartl (49' og.)
Lotka (13'), Jovetic (20'), Kempf (61'), Tousart (65')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Haraguchi (31'), Promel (53'), Becker (74'), Michel (85')

Preview: Hertha Berlin vs. Union Berlin - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Hertha Berlin vs. Union Berlin - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Saturday's Bundesliga clash between Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

Seeking a third derby win of the season, Union Berlin visit Hertha Berlin's iconic Olympiastadion on Saturday evening.

The capital city clash pits together two sides experiencing differing fortunes, with the hosts battling to avoid the drop and their visitors in the mix for European qualification.


Match preview

Berlin derbies have only infrequently occurred since the Bundesliga's inaugural season in 1963, and just nine matches have been played between capital clubs in the German top flight before this weekend.

The most recent was November's 2-0 away defeat for Hertha at An der Alten Forsterei, when their hosts led by two goals on the half-hour mark and saw out the game to earn all three points.

In the intervening months, the clubs clashed again in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals, with Union once again coming out on top in a 3-2 win at the Olympiastadion.

Hertha have lost seven of their nine outings since - including to rock-bottom Greuther Furth and 6-1 at home to RB Leipzig - with the board appointing former Bayern Munich boss Felix Magath as head coach until the end of the season, after parting company with Tayfun Korkut.

The latter - who was only brought in to replace Pal Dardai at the end of November - left the club inside the Bundesliga relegation zone, so Magath has been presented with one of the more challenging tasks of a long managerial career.

Having been away from the German game for nearly a decade, his reign started in spectacular style, with a 3-0 home win against Hoffenheim just before the international break. However, a 2-1 loss away at Bayer Leverkusen last Saturday leaves his new side still struggling to stay afloat, as they prepare for one of their biggest games of the season.

Ahead of a fixture that captures the attention of a once-divided city, Union's third Bundesliga campaign nears its climax with the club from the town of Kopenick sitting seventh in the standings - 15 points better off than Hertha.

Their more established rivals had finished ahead of the newcomers only on goal difference in the clubs' first year sharing top-flight status, but Die Eisernen then made history in the following campaign.

At the end of last term, the same 15-point advantage as they hold now saw Union finish seventh and qualify for Europe for only the second time, as Hertha only just avoided the drop.

Though Union may have won their first-ever Bundesliga derby in November 2019, they had to wait until last autumn to overcome their capital counterparts once again. Following their cup win back in January, though, the traditional underdogs are now within 90 minutes of a treble over their old foes.

Urs Fischer's side enjoyed their 11th victory of the season last Friday, as they edged out Koln 1-0 on home soil; keeping them within three points of the European places. Also into the semis of the DFB-Pokal, Union certainly have it all to play for in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Hertha Berlin Bundesliga form:
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • W
  • L

Union Berlin Bundesliga form:
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • D
  • L
  • W

Union Berlin form (all competitions):
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • D
  • L
  • W

Team News

Felix Magath is poised to make some changes in the Hertha defence following last week's loss to Leverkusen, particularly as Peter Pekarik is a doubt for Saturday's showdown due to an ankle injury.

Should the full-back fail to recover, either unheralded teenager Julian Eitschberger or Lukas Klunter will provide an alternative on the right flank, while Niklas Stark and Marvin Plattenhardt are both in danger of missing out too.

Not only that, but goalkeepers Alexander Schwolow and Rune Jarstein will definitely be sidelined, so Marcel Lotka - who stepped in off the bench after Schwolow suffered a thigh injury last time out - should start.

Meanwhile, Union have fewer such concerns, though centre-back Paul Jaeckel must serve a suspension for accumulated bookings.

Anthony Ujah is also set to be unavailable, due to illness, so Sheraldo Becker and 14-goal top scorer Taiwo Awoniyi will join forces up front.

Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:
Lotka; Klunter, Boyata, Kempf, Mittelstadt; Ascacibar; Richter, Tousart, Darida, Serdar; Belfodil

Union Berlin possible starting lineup:
Ronnow; Baumgartl, Knoche, Heintz; Khedira; Trimmel, Promel, Haraguchi, Giesselmann; Becker, Awoniyi


We say: Hertha Berlin 1-2 Union Berlin

Following recent encounters, Union now hold the edge in this local affair - particularly given Hertha's ongoing woes at the back, which are set to be exacerbated by absences this weekend.

For that reason, the visitors can come out on top for a third straight Berlin derby; pushing their rivals one step closer to demotion.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data




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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1St Pauli26159248252354
2Holstein Kiel26154749341549
3Hamburger SV26135850371344
4Fortuna DusseldorfDusseldorf26127756342243
5Hannover261010647351240
6SC PaderbornSC Paderborn2611694043-339
7Karlsruher SCKarlsruher26108855411438
8Greuther Furth26115103738-138
9Hertha Berlin2610795043737
10Nuremberg26106103545-1036
11Elversberg26105113943-435
12Magdeburg2687113841-331
13Wehen WiesbadenWiesbaden2687113034-431
14Schalke 04Schalke2693144254-1230
15KaiserslauternKaiserslautern2685134251-929
16Hansa RostockHansa Rostock2684142441-1728
17Eintracht BraunschweigBraunschweig2683152539-1427
18VfL OsnabruckOsnabruck2639142453-2918
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