Doekhi and Co. cheer again on Saturday? Photo: AP Photo/Michael Sohn
From BZ/dpa
Union Berlin’s Danilho Doekhi would not have expected such a starting position before the start of the second half of the Bundesliga season when he switched to the Irons last summer.
“It’s crazy,” said the 24-year-old Dutchman in a press conference at the An der Alten Försterei stadium on Friday. “33 points, second place. That shows that we’re on the right track,” said Doekhi: “We have to continue like this.”
Before the ever-explosive capital city derby this Saturday (3:30 p.m. / Sky) in the Olympic Stadium against Hertha BSC, there was a good atmosphere in the team, said the defender. That was clear after two wins in the first two championship games of the new year.
Union started with a 3-1 home win, also thanks to a Doekhi brace, and followed that up with a 2-1 away win against Werder Bremen. But the next tasks are already waiting in the league, in the cup and also internationally in the Europa League. “We still have a lot of games and no time to celebrate,” said the Dutchman, who switched from Vitesse Arnhem to Köpenicker in July 2022.
He did not play in the 3-1 win over Hertha at the start of the season. According to his own statement, he already brings derby experience with him from the Netherlands.
“These games are always different,” he said. With another win – the last four duels with Hertha in the championship (3) and in the cup (1) were all won by Union – the iron would consolidate their position in the title and Champions League battle. “We’re halfway across the web,” emphasized Doekhi. “If you lose once, you can slip down to fourth or fifth place.”