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On Saturday, 20.08.2022, the Alte Försterei will see 1.FC Union Berlin play RasenBallsport Leipzig. Kick-off is at 18:30, the turnstiles open at 16:30.
The Opponents
Leipzig have gone into this season as the reigning DFB Pokal champions, having narrowly defeated Union 2-1 in the semi-final. They then beat SC Freiburg 5:3 on penalties in the final in Berlin.
Rasenballsport Leipzig’s squad has undergone many changes, with 18 new players, notably among them being Timo Werner, who returned to the club following two difficult years at Chelsea in the Premier League. But the ambitious club have had to be content with only two draws in their first two games so far this year. The first being a 1-1 against VfB Stuttgart, and the second a 2-2 at home against FC Köln, despite being reduced to ten men after Dominik Szoboszlai’s red card towards the end of the first half.
The Head-to-Head
Union have now won their last three Bundesliga fixtures against Leipzig, home and away last season both ending 2-1. Leipzig won that semi-final by the same scoreline, but needed a 93rd minute winner to do so.
Team News
Though Timo Baumgartl has been taking part in training, he’s not yet ready to appear in the squad. Otherwise Fischer has a full detail of players at his disposal.
The Coaches Views on the Game
“Leipzig have a well organised team, they’re precise and quick” said Urs Fischer, Union’s head coach on Friday, warning of their quality. “It’ll be a real test for us, we need to show the necessary aggression.” But three Bundesliga wins in a row aginst them gives cause for cautious optimism. “We know what it feels like to beat them, and we’ll need that too.”
For Leipzig’s trainer, Dominic Tedesco, not much has changed in Union’s style of play. Though he meant this in the nicest possible way. “Union are doing few things really differently. They are exactly as good, and exactly as stable as in both league games last season.”
Matchday Info
The stadium will open at 16:30. Users of the Union-App can scan their mobile tickets at the gates. More information can be found here. The QR code of your print@home tickets can also be scanned and no longer need to be on paper.
The game will be shown live on SKY (in Germany). As ever it can be followed here on Union’s Liveticker, and there will be updates in English on our English Twitter feed.
