Our prediction for this Bundesliga match:
All eyes will be on Olympiastadion when Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin face each other in the Berlin derby on Saturday evening. The hosts aim to make amends for a 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, and a win over Union Berlin should see them escape the relegation zone. Goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who limped off with injury at the weekend, has joined the likes of Niklas Stark, Marvin Plattenhardt, Kellan Nsona, and R.A. Jarstein in the recovery room.
The visitors, on the other hand, aim to climb to the Conference League berth, but seeing that Hertha want this win more than Union Berlin, home win should be considered. Defender Paul Jaeckel is banned for the match, while midfielder Keita Endo is a major doubt, and he will be assessed ahead of the kick-off.
Highlighted Player (Alexander Schwolow):
One of the key cogs in Freiburg’s push for Bundesliga survival in 2017/18, Alexander Schwolow remains remembered for his impressive displays against some of league’s biggest sides which proved decisive in his team’s relegation battle.
A product of Freiburg academy, Alexander Schwolow was forced to work for his place under the spotlight and it wasn’t until his loan spell in the Third Division with Armenia Bielefeld in 2014 that Schwolow earned his place between the sticks at his parent club. His stock went through a rapid rise in 2016/17 campaign when Alexander Schwolow played a great part in his team’s seventh-place finish and a place in the UEFA Europa league qualification.
Schwolow’s impressive goalkeeping exploits got his name written in the notebook of some of Europe’s biggest clubs and it is fair to say we could see his move abroad in foreseeable future. Alexander Schwolow represented Germany in U18, U19 and U20 categories but has yet to earn a senior cap.
Highlighted Team (Union Berlin):
Union Berlin are a German football club originally founded back in 1906. Die Eisernen play home games at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei which can hold up to 22,012 spectators. Union Berlin’s home kit is red, with the team wearing white shirts and white shorts on the travels.
Union Berlin finished the 1923 domestic campaign as runners-up, with the team suffering a 3-0 loss to Hamburger SV in the title game. Speaking of the club’s biggest success in the German Cup, die Eisernen made it to the final of the competition in the 2000/2001 season. Schalke, though, proved to be a big catch for Union Berlin in the decider, with Jorg Bohme scoring a brace for die Knappen (2-0).
Union Berlin will face their local rivals Hertha in the 2019/2020 Bundesliga season as they secured promotion to the German top flight, but Hansa Rostock are considered the club’s main rivals.