After Union celebrated a redemptive victory at the weekend, the next highlight is on the agenda. Against Champions League record winners Real Madrid it’s the last chance to winter in Europe.
Five facts about the game
- With a win against Madrid and a simultaneous defeat by Braga in Naples it would be the 1. FC Union still make it into the Europa League. The Champions League exit is already certain
- In the first leg it looked for a long time as if the Köpenickers could steal a point from the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. It wasn’t until the 94th minute that ex-Dortmund Jew Bellingham sealed Union’s 1-0 defeat with his goal
- With an away win, Real Madrid could finish the group stage of the Champions League with six wins for the third time in the club’s history. Only FC Bayern Munich has previously achieved this
- Union coach Bjelica met Real Madrid three times as a player for the then Spanish first division club Albacete. His record: one defeat and two draws
- For the first time this season, Union’s final training will take place in the Olympic Stadium. Bjelica’s predecessor, Urs Fischer, always trained in his home town of Köpenick
Union wins with Bjelica ball
It’s done: 1. FC Union has finally won again after more than three months without a win. In his first home game it becomes clear what kind of football new coach Nenad Bjelica wants to see. His team played better offensively than before. By Till Oppermannmore
That’s what moves Union
With the 3-1 win against Gladbach Last weekend, 1. FC Union ended their winless streak that had lasted over three months. At his home game premiere, new coach Nenad Bjelica showed his style and led his team to the best offensive performance in a long time. He proved that the squad is capable of much more.
Even if it looks as if this relief came at exactly the right time before the final in the group phase of the Champions League, it will be extremely difficult for the Köpenickers to winter in Europe on Tuesday (9 p.m.). On the one hand, they need a surprise win against European Cup record winners Real Madrid, and on the other hand, they need help from Naples, who would have to beat Braga in their home game. They would only climb to third place if they won and the Portuguese lost.
Despite the difficult task, the anticipation for the highlight game is already huge. “What could be nicer than dribbling against Real Madrid in front of over 70,000 spectators in the Olympic Stadium, putting everything on one card and possibly bagging a Europa League ticket? We’ll give it our all and leave our lives on the pitch again,” announced National player Robin Gosens after the win against Gladbach.
“I am convinced that if we can repeat this performance from Saturday, the chances of winning against Marid are very good. But we have to play a perfect game, that’s clear,” said coach Nenad Bjelica at the press conference on Monday.
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The opponent check
The Royals are in top form again this season. Real have won 17 of 21 games across all competitions so far and have only suffered one defeat: on September 24th in the league against city rivals Athletico (1:3). In the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti’s team is on track to equal a record set by FC Bayern Munich and finish the group stage with maximum points for the third time in the club’s history.
It is already clear that the Madrilenians will advance to the round of 16 as group winners. A success that Union could potentially benefit from. Because it is quite possible that Ancelotti will leave a few of his star players on the bench in the Olympic Stadium to rest. With Vinicius Junior (thigh injury), Aurelien Tchouameni (stress fracture) and Eduardo Camavinga (torn lateral ligament), a few top performers are missing due to injuries. Nevertheless, the royal reserve bank also has a lot of talent to offer, which will present the Berliners with a big task.
This is how Union could play
Against Gladbach, coach Bjelica surprised with a personnel on the wing: Benedict Hollerbach, who was rarely used under Urs Fischer, was allowed to play from the start, scored a goal and played a large part in the long-awaited breakout. However, the 22-year-old is now not allowed to play against Madrid. In September, the Eisernen did not nominate the new signing from SV Wehen Wiesbaden for their Champions League squad.
However, Bjelica will want to play his new 4-1-4-1 system again against Los Blancos and will therefore have to find an alternative to Hollerbach on the right wing. The fast Sheraldo Becker will probably be back in the squad after his injury, but is unlikely to be fit enough for 90 minutes yet.
It would be conceivable, for example, for Josip Juranovic to slide forward from the defensive line and for Christopher Trimmel to come into play at the back from the start. “Christopher is our second captain and a very important player, not only in the last ten years but also now. (…) He will certainly get his minutes in the future. We will see whether that will be the case against Madrid “Bjelica explained at the press conference.
Otherwise, Kevin Volland could also be moved from his favorite position behind the strikers and placed on the wing. Then Aissa Laidouni could be in the starting line-up.
Union’s possible starting eleven: Rönnow – Trimmel, Knoche, Leite, Roussillon – Khedira – Juranovic, Volland, Haberer, Gosens – Behrens
Prognosis
The redemptive win against Gladbach may have given Union new self-confidence. It is questionable whether that will be enough to defeat the Royals. Although Real comes to Berlin as the safest group leader, they certainly have ambitions to reach the round of 16 with maximum points. And Madrid’s second guard in a good mood is also likely to pose some problems for Union.
Editor’s tip: Union is playing along cheerfully, but there will be no surprise win against the mighty Madrilenians. 1:3 defeat.
Broadcast: rbb24, December 11, 2023, 6 p.m
