In recent years, Borussia Mönchengladbach have been plagued by problems at the back; they have been among the five teams with the most goals conceded four times in the past five seasons. This year this seems to be less of an issue – thanks in part to goalkeeper and former Union player Moritz Nicolas, who leads the league with 95 saves.

Up front, however, a new problem is emerging. With 23 games played, the Foals are nine goals behind their tally from the same point last season, and with the second-fewest shots on goal, are struggling to catch up to that mark. Haris Tabaković – the league's fourth-highest scorer – has contributed around 42 per cent of the team's 26 goals with eleven strikes, but he cannot do it all alone. The Bosnian is a specialist in the air and scores more goals with his head than anyone else, but with Leopold Querfeld and Danilho Doekhi, Union have two strong answers to the questions he’ll pose, and each of them has won more aerial duels than the centre forward so far.

One reason for the attacking weakness could be the lack of intensity and toughness in challenges. With only 32 cards received, the Foals are the fairest team in the league and, moreover, none of the players stand out for their exceptional running stats. Gladbach thus remain a team that certainly have individual quality but are still searching for stability as a collective – a circumstance that makes them both dangerous and vulnerable.

Union enjoy a largely positive record over Göladbach, with the 3-1 win earlier this season their eight in 14 games. Gladbach have wone three, three have ended in draws. Particularly memorable is the only clash in the DFB Pokal to date. In the semifinals of 2001, Union triumphed after a thrilling penalty shootout, securing their place in the final.

While there are no player from the current Union squad with a Borussia Mönchengladbach past,Saturday#s hosts have two players who once played for Union. One of them is goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas, who came to Union on loan from Gladbach during the debut season in the Bundesliga. The now 28-year-old has since matured into a key player at Borussia and has played every single minute in the league and cup this season so far. 

The situation is quite different for Marvin Friedrich. The center-back has had to settle for just 149 minutes of play this season. Between 2018 and 2022, he made a total of 141 appearances for Union, contributing nine goals and six assists, playing a significant role in the historic promotion to the Bundesliga, leading the team onto the field as captain in the decisive play-off at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

Union's coaching team will have to do without Tom Rothe, Robert Skov, Diogo Leite, and Josip Juranović for the match in Gladbach. Additionally, Andrej Ilić is suspended for the upcoming match due to his fifth yellow card.

“Gladbach may be behind us in the table, but I would say they are on the same level as us," said Union head coach, Steffen baumgart, during his press conference on Thursday afternoon. "They shouldn’t have lost the last matches, for example against Freiburg, and could have gained more from them. I see us as a team that will fight hard in Gladbach to achieve a successful result.”

Nearly 2,800 Unioner will travel to Borussia-Park on Saturday. The Union-Fahr-Zeughaus will also be on site. Information about visiting the stadium can be found here (German)