Union Berlin - SV Darmstadt 98

Hosts to grab back-to-back home wins

TEAM NEWS

Union Berlin will once again be without the long-term injured Marc Torrejon while Christopher Lenz and Fabian Schonheim are expected to return in the next few weeks.

There are no injury news at Darmstadt with Rouven Sattelmaier and Felix Platte still sidelined. 

Union Berlin

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Marc Torrejon (calf), Christopher Lenz (pulled muscle), Fabian Schonheim (adductor)

Darmstadt

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Rouven Sattelmaier (knee), Felix Platte (foot)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN

Union Berlin are the only side in the league at present who remain unbeaten after 14 league matches. Urs Fischer’s men have won five and drawn nine so far and have the best defence with only ten goals conceded. Union Berlin have returned from the international break with an excellent 2-2 draw against leaders Hamburg. Their unbeaten run has lifted them into the promotion/relegation playoff place and they are level on 24 points with St. Pauli in fourth, although their goal difference of +11 is far superior. 

Darmstadt had won back-to-back league games before falling to back-to-back defeats against Bochum 1-0 and Cologne 3-0 over the course of the last two rounds. Inconsistency has been a problem for the Lilies, having won five, drawn two and lost seven this term, results that unsurprisingly have seen them occupying a mid-table spot in 12^th. Only four of their 17 points have come on the road though, where just one other side – rock-bottom Ingolstadt – have secured even fewer points.

Draw specialists Union Berlin will be targeting all three points here – they have drawn more league games than any other side and could do with converting them into wins to climb into the direct promotion places. They have also been strong at home, having won four and drawn three of their seven league games at Alte Forsterei thus far. I can see them securing their fifth home league win of the season against weak travellers Darmstadt this weekend.

SECOND PREDICTION: CORRECT SCORE – 1-0

Darmstadt have failed to score in their last two league matches, which both ended in defeat. They have also lost three of their last five defeats by one goal. A 1-0 home win seems likely.

HEAD TO HEAD

There have been only two draws between the pair at Alte Forsterei since 2014.