1. FC Union Berlin travel to play Hertha BSC this Saturday, 28 January 2023, for the first game of the second half of the current Bundesliga season. Kick off in Berlin's Olympiastadion is at 15:30.

The lie of the land

Though Urs Fischer said that the sides are equally matched, the contrasts in mood between the clubs could hardly be starker. Two defeats in the new year versus two wins. 17th versus second. While Union have shown their strength of collective will in coming back from a goal down in both the 3-1 win against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at home, as in the 2-1 win in Bremen, the Charlottenburg side were battered 5-0 by Wolfsburg just a few days after also losing 3-1 in Bochum.

With that, Hertha remain in 17th place in the Bundesliga table on 14 points, in an automatic relegation place, while Union are in 3rd on 33. However the league is a curious beast, and safety is by no means out of reach, with only two points separating Hertha from VfB Stuttgart and VfL Bochum in 15th and 16th place respectively.

The opponents

Hertha's greatest consistency this year has, unfortunately, been in their inconsistency. And in the negative results that have followed. They won only three times in the first half of the season, two of them at home. On matchday eleven, they beat bottom-of-the-table Schalke 04 2-1, which they followed up with a 2-0 win over 1. FC Köln. They are the rare bright spots in a depressing season so far, however. Hertha have only two wins in the last eight games.

Tomorrow's derby is not only a clash of two different clubs under two different sets of circumstances, but also of two diametrically opposed playing styles. Under coach Sandro Schwarz, Hertha rely on a back four. But their vulnerability in the air is striking, having conceded eight headed goals already. Union, on the other hand, rely mainly on a five-man defence, and have scored the most headed goals this year so far with 11.

The personnel

Head coach Urs Fischer can rely on an almost complete squad, with only Morten Thorsby missing, though he is also very close to a return.

The coaches' views ahead of the match

Union head coach Urs Fischer was his usual cautious self before the game, saying "We didn't have much time to recuperate after Bremen, but were able to do some light training. We can expect a tough task against Hertha because, apart from the last two games, they are compact and well organised. Even in their defeats, they have usually presented themselves well and often lost by just one goal. We know their qualities: a lot of speed, good one-on-one players. I expect a good game that we have to be ready for."

Service info

The away sector in Berlin's Olympiastadion is completely sold out. The stadium opens its gates at 1 pm. Information on how to get there, access for away fans, and other tips can be found here.

The match will be broadcast live on Sky and, as usual, Union will also provide information on the match in the club's own live ticker, as well as in English on twitter.