Men's Team Face Recent Victors in the League
FC Köln: The Second Time Around
Just five days after meeting them in the DFB Pokal, 1. FC Union Berlin will host 1. FC Köln on Sunday afternoon, though this time in the league. Kick off at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei is at 15:30.
The lie of the land
1. FC Köln are travelling to Berlin with momentum on their side, having swept Union away at home on Tuesday evening in the DFB Pokal, 5-0. Prior to that, head coach René Wagner's side earned a point in the Bundesliga against FC Schalke 04, lost to Eintracht in Frankfurt, and managed a 2-1 victory against Mönchengladbach.
Union would rather forget midweek. After a decent first half, Mauro Lustrinelli's team lost control of the match in the RheinEnergieSTADION after the break and had to concede a heavy defeat in the end. Now, they have the opportunity for revenge in front of their home crowd.
That 5-0 cup win was Köln's strongest performance of the season so far.
Taking centre stage was Saïd El Mala, who, with two goals and one assist, played a significant role in the Domstädter's advancement to the next round. He is joined by Linton Maina and Ísak Jóhannessonas an attackinng force; both joined him on the scorecard on Tuesday.
Union's coaching team will have to do without Felix Uduokhai, Robert Skov, Andrej Ilić, and Stanley Nsoki on Sunday afternoon.
“We need to return to our DNA: to the compactness that defines us and that throughout the entire match. On Sunday, we want to show a different face. This type of defeat has hurt and annoyed us, and it requires the right reaction. We want to show from the first minute that we can do better. The time was tight, but it’s a new game and therefore a new chance,” emphasized Union’s head coach Mauro Lustrinelli in advance.
“The game will be different. Union will have a certain degree of anger and will set many objectives. They play at home and will act more boldly with the ball. They have played well at home, which they will want to build on. We need to be prepared for that,” said FC coach René Wagner.
The Stadion An der Alten Försterei opens two hours before kick off, the match is sold out in both the home and away areas.
There are still extensive traffic disruptions in public transport and in the stadium vicinity. The underpass Hämmerlingstraße is closed just like the Waldweg. The footpath to the stadium leads along the sports hall.
No parking options are available in the vicinity of the stadium.
The match will be broadcast live in Germany by DAZN, with an audio stream on rbb24 Inforadio and rbb24. Union will provide updates via their live ticker, as well as in English on Twitter. As ever a conprehensive, English-only match report will follow the final whistle.
