Manuel Veth - Dortmund vs Union Berlin – Saturday, February 1, 14:30GMT/15:30CET – SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Dortmund, Germany The dust on the Bundes
Manuel Veth –
Dortmund vs Union Berlin – Saturday, February 1, 14:30GMT/15:30CET – SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, Dortmund, Germany
Borussia Dortmund vs Union Berlin will take place at the SIGNAL IDUNA Park in Dortmund (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)
The dust on the Bundesliga transfer window has settled. Dortmund were busy in the window bringing in Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg and securing Emre Can from Juventus on a last-minute transfer.
Haaland already had a fantastic impact on Borussia Dortmund. The Norwegian striker managed five goals in his first two games for the Black and Yellows. In Haaland Dortmund have a proven goalscorer, in Emre Can the Black and Yellows hope to add some much-needed stability to the defense.
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Whether either one of them will start remains to be seen. Dortmund will host Union Berlin for the first time in the Bundesliga. Nonetheless, the Black and Yellows are familiar with the opponent having them hosted twice in the DFB Pokal in recent years. Furthermore, Dortmund lost the return match against Union at the Alte Försterei in the summer.
“We know the opponent well,” Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre said this week. “They are very physical and hard to play against.”
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“Dortmund will be the team under pressure,” Neven Subotić said. The Union Berlin defender returns to his old club on Saturday. “We are not heading there to be hammered,” Subotić added.
Union are playing a strong season and have won seven games already. As a result, Die Eisernen are somewhat removed from the relegation zone. But Dortmund have hugely benefited from the addition of Haaland and have scored ten goals in the first two games after the winter break. The Black and Yellows look stable and should easily win the game on Saturday.
Dortmund vs Union Berlin – Players to look out for:
Jadon Sancho #7 – Borussia Dortmund
It has all been about Haaland since the winter break. But Jadon Sancho has also been fantastic. The 19-year-old Englishman has scored an unbelievable 14 goals and 15 assists in 26 games for Dortmund this season.
DORTMUND, GERMANY – JANUARY 24: Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund celebrates after he scores his sides third goal during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Koeln at Signal Iduna Park on January 24, 2020 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Neven Subotić #3 – Union Berlin
Signed on a free transfer from AS Saint-Etienne in the summer, Subotić has been a big reason for Union’s success this season. The Serbian defender is one of the best tacklers in the league and adds significant experience to a young side. On Saturday he will return to Dortmund. “Throughout the 90 minutes I won’t care that I will play against my former club,” Subotić said. “But after the game, I am looking forward to catching up with friends and former teammates.”
Union Berlin’s Serbian defender Neven Subotic, a former Dortmund’s player, aknowledges the Dortmund’s fans after the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Union Berlin versus Borussia Dortmund in Berlin on August 31, 2019. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Dortmund vs Union Berlin – Match Stats
- Since Favre is in charge of Dortmund they have lost only one of their 26 home games. No other team in the Bundesliga has a stronger home record during this period.
- Neven Subotić and Mats Hummels have the best one-v-one defenders in the Bundesliga. Subotić has won 69.2% of his challenges and Hummels 64.4% of his challenges.
- This is the first time Borussia Dortmund will host Union Berlin for a Bundesliga match.
Futbolgrad Network Prediction: Dortmund vs Union Berlin – 4-1
Dortmund vs Union Berlin – Lineups
Borussia Dortmund:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Bürki – Piszczek, Hummels, Akanji – Hakimi, Brandt, Witsel, Guerreiro – Hazard, Reus, Sancho
Head Coach: Lucien Favre
Union Berlin:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Gikiewicz – Friedrich, Schlotterbeck, Subotić – Trimmel, Gentner, Andrich, Lenz – Ingvartsen, Andersson, Bülter
Head Coach: Urs Fischer
Manuel Veth is the owner and Editor in Chief of the Futbolgrad Network. He is the Area Manager USA for Transfermarkt and contributes to Forbes.com. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in History from King’s College London, and his thesis is titled: “Selling the People’s Game: Football’s transition from Communism to Capitalism in the Soviet Union and its Successor States,” which is available HERE. Manuel has lived in Amsterdam, Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, London, and currently splits his time between Victoria, BC, and Munich, Germany. Follow Manuel on Twitter @ManuelVeth.
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