Sabasports Match Preview
Bundesliga: Union Berlin vs Borussia Monchengladbach
Kickoff Time: 2025-10-18 02:30 (HKT)
Source: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Union Berlin began competing in the Bundesliga in the 2019-20 season and once played the role of a dark horse, achieving a fourth-place finish in the 2022-23 season. This season, the team started with a record of two wins, one draw, and three losses. Among the teams they lost to, one was last season’s runner-up, Bayer Leverkusen, and the other was last season’s fourth-place finisher, Borussia Dortmund. In fact, Union Berlin’s overall performance has been acceptable. In terms of player form, several summer signings have stood out. Among them, 20-year-old forward Ilyas Ansah has scored four league goals; center forward Andrej Ilic has taken on a supporting role, providing four assists; and Oliver Burke has also contributed three goals. They have already integrated into the team’s tactics and have become Union Berlin’s new attacking trio.
Borussia Monchengladbach has been the worst-performing team in the Bundesliga this season, yet to secure a single win and only accumulating three points so far. Due to the poor start, Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane was dismissed in mid-September, with U23 coach Eugen Polanski temporarily taking over as the first-team coach. From the season’s trajectory, the main reason for the team’s decline is the sale of key players and poor recruitment, with injuries being a secondary factor. The forward line has been particularly hard hit by injuries. Currently, the team’s highest-valued center forward, Tim Kleindienst; the third-highest-valued forward, Franck Honorat; last season’s contributor of four goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga, Robin Hack; backup forward Nathan Ngoumou; and attacking midfielder Giovanni Reyna are all on the injury list. This essentially means Borussia Monchengladbach’s forward line needs to be restructured. So far this season, the team has only scored five league goals, averaging less than one goal per game. Due to the shortage of forwards, the team fielded youth team forward Jan Urbich in the last league match. During the game, his offensive statistics were all zero, clearly indicating his inability to adapt to the pace of Bundesliga matches.
The two teams are evenly matched in terms of strength, but there is a gap in the form of their forwards. In clashes between Bundesliga teams of similar strength, the key lies in the forwards’ ability to capitalize on opportunities. From this perspective, Union Berlin holds a clear advantage. In this matchup, it is believed that Union Berlin will not miss the opportunity to secure all three points.
Union Berlin‘s Last 5 Games: LDWLL
25-10-04 Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Union Berlin
25-09-29 Union Berlin 0-0 Hamburger SV
25-09-21 Eintracht Frankfurt 3-4 Union Berlin
25-09-13 Union Berlin 2-4 Hoffenheim
25-08-31 Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Union Berlin
Borussia Monchengladbach‘s Last 5 Games: DLDLL
25-10-06 Borussia Monchengladbach 0-0 Freiburg
25-09-28 Borussia Monchengladbach 4-6 Eintracht Frankfurt
25-09-21 Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Borussia Monchengladbach
25-09-14 Borussia Monchengladbach 0-4 Werder Bremen
25-08-30 VfB Stuttgart 1-0 Borussia Monchengladbach
Head-To-Head Record
25-02-15 Union Berlin 1-2 Borussia Monchengladbach
24-09-28 Borussia Monchengladbach 1-0 Union Berlin
24-04-28 Borussia Monchengladbach 0-0 Union Berlin
23-12-09 Union Belrin 3-1 Borussia Monchengladbach
23-04-24 Borussia Monchengladbach 0-1 Union Berlin
Prediction: Union Berlin to win