After yesterday's friendly against Pafos FC, 1. FC Union Berlin will host Italian Serie A side Udinese Calcio this Saturday. Kick-off in the Dolomitenstadion in Lienz is at 15:30.

The opponents

It was only last year when Union met Udinese at the foot of the Dolomites for a pre-season friendly; a wild match in front of 700 people that ended in a 3-3 draw, with Union overturning first a 2-0 and later a 3-2 deficit. the goals that day came from Robin Knoche and Rani Khedira (and the third was an own goal)

Following that match Udinese made a strong start to the 2022/23 season with seven wins in a row (beating both Milan clubs and battering AS Roma 4-0 along the way), until the northern Italian side's form slumped, especially in the second half of the season. As in the previous year, Udinese finished 12th in the table.

In terms of transfers, Udinese have been somewhat cautious so far this close-season. Apart from a few loanees returning, only centre-forward Brenner really stands out. The Brazilian signed from FC Cincinnati in the MLS, having scored 18 in 29 games last season. On the defensive side, they have had to cope with the departure of Rodrigo Becão. In his four seasons in Italy the central defender had become integral to head coach, Andrea Sottil’s side, playing 130 times for the ”Bianconeri”.

Service information

Tickets for the match are available at the gate and cost €12. Concessions are available for €8 euros, while children up to 14 years of age are admitted free of charge.

As usual, Union will provide updates on the club's own live ticker, as well as in English and Spanish on Twitter. All Union fans who cannot be present on site have the opportunity to follow the games free-to-air on AFTV and Union's Youtube channel. The live broadcast is presented by training camp partner sonnenschutz.de.