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1. FC Union Berlin will host VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, 01.04.2023, in the 26th match of the Bundesliga season. Kick off at the Alte Försterei is at 15:30.
The lie of the Land
While Union will be keen to carry on the momentum from their 2-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt before the international break, their Swabian guests simply want to end their own current run of four games without a win. Most recently, they only managed a point in Frankfurt, after which they lost in Gelsenkirchen to Schalke and again at home to Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg.
Apart from their clear 3-0 win against 1. FC Köln on matchday 21, Stuttgart’s last win was before the World Cup break, when they defeated Hertha BSC 2-1 at home in the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Last week as a result of this, and an upturn in fortunes for certain other teams from the nether-regions of the table, Stuttgart slipped to 18th place for the first time this season.
The opponents
Head coach Bruno Labbadia’s team are the second-worst in the league on the road, still without an away win after 25 Bundesliga matches, and to that can be added only five draws on the road. are enough for 17th place in the away table. Labbadia, who will also be visiting the stadium An der Alten Försterei for the first time as VfB trainer, in his 100th Bundesliga match as coach, will certainly want to deliver a first top flight win against Union. Three of the five encounters so far have ended in a draw, with Union twice running out winners.
With 29, VfB have the third fewest goals in the league. Only FC Schalke 04 (21) and VfL Bochum (27) have been less successful in front of goal. To this can be added the missing name of top scorer Serhou Guirassy, who has scored six times so far, but who is still expected to be absent through injury on Saturday. Behind him come Chris Führich and Silas, who have scored four times each so far and should therefore be seen as key players at the Alte Försterei this weekend.
The reunions
The clash will mean the meeting of old friends on both sides. Rani Khedira’s time at VfB began in 2005, ended almost a decade later in the summer of 2014, and included a total of 128 games for the Swabians. While Genki Haraguchi only moved there from Berlin in the winter transfer window, having played 61 games for Union in one and a half seasons.
It is however Timo Baumgartl that can look back on the longest period at VfB, having spent the majority of his career with Stuttgart, with the now 27-year-old playing for the B and A youth teams as well as the second and first teams from 2011 to 2019.
The personnel
András Schäfer is still in rehabilitation training and is thus not yet available. Jakob Busk, Paul Seguin and Sheraldo Becker are currently ill but could still be options for the squad.
The coaches’ views ahead of the game
“VfB’s past games have all been very close, and for me the team give off an active and self-confident impression,” said a characteristically cautious Union head coach, Urs Fischer on Thursday. “Despite the current situation, Stuttgart are always looking for solutions with the ball, plus they are also strong on the flanks.”
Meanwhile, ahead of the clash, Bruno Labbadia praised Union’s discipline in particular: “It’s great to see how they function as a team. Everyone is ready to go wherever they’re demanded. They are incredibly compact – in all directions. You always come up against an extreme bulwark.”
Service info
The Stadion An der Alten Försterei is sold out and, as usual, opens its gates two hours before kick-off.
The match can be seen live on Sky and heard on rbb24 Inforadio and rbb24.de. As usual, Union will also report on the match in the club’s own live ticker, as well as in English on twitter.
