Probably nobody in Köpenick would say it too loud but the 2-0 victory at Werder Bremen was a big step forward in terms of staying up. Three points against a direct rival – and that away from home where the Berlin side have never won a single league game before. "The team showed great solidarity and produced a mature performance," praised coach Urs Fischer. And: The team now have a nine-point lead over the play-off spot of sixteenth. A really impressive interim position for a club that is in its first ever season in the Bundesliga. But Fischer has assured with his relaxed approach that Union are more and more getting used to the league and are now established in mid-table. The crucial part is the outstanding record at their own ground, the Alte Försterei. The Berliners have clocked up six wins in front of their own fans, which is equal to second-placed RB Leipzig. That includes two wins at home against Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Of course: Bayer 04 present Union with a tough challenge.
Marius Bülter is currently living the dream of many lower league players. Less than two years ago, then at the age of 25, he appeared to have reached his limits playing for SV Rödinghausen in the Regional League West and he was also studying mechanical engineering. Now the powerful forward is in the Bundesliga and he has scored goals against Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, and last weekend he bagged a brace to secure victory for Union over Werder Bremen. "He's making a rapid rise," said Fischer in describing his winger. Bülter, who successfully completed his studies, is now not only the second highest scorer for Union Berlin but his goals have also secured points: The 26-year-old has scored for Union in four Bundesliga games with the side from Köpenick winning three of those games.
In spite of the threat posed by Bülter's physique or the heading ability of striker Sebastian Andersson, the main strength of the team is in the defence: Union have only conceded 32 goals to date – exactly the same number as Borussia Dortmund. No less impressive: Goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz has kept six clean sheets this season (as has Werkself keeper Lukas Hradecky) and only Manuel Neuer has been more successful (eight). More good news for the Union defence: Defender Marvin Friedrich returns from a one-match ban – but even without the key player, Union did not concede at Werder Bremen.
Union do not have many problems at the moment and the season is certainly proceeding to the satisfaction of the management. The team from Köpenick could definitely play more inventive football. The threat often comes from individual moves by Bülter, high crosses to Andersson or from set pieces rather than fast combination play. That was evident in last week's 1-0 win in the DFB Cup against SC Verl when the Berliners found it difficult to penetrate the deep lying defence of the Regional League team. That is not particularly helped by the absence of two of the best technicians in the squad, Akaki Gogia (torn cruciate) and Joshua Mees (thigh injury).
Union have done a lot incredibly well in recent years. The reward: Eleventh in the league ahead of city rivals Hertha Berlin plus progress to the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup. The foundations were laid by the efforts of the calm and efficient team management. That can now be built on – and Union are already making the most of it: Central striker Andersson, the top scorer in the squad with eight goals so far this season and therefore a target for other clubs, last week agreed to a two-year contract extension. And Bülter, currently only on loan from FC Magdeburg, recently expressed the hope that Union will take up their option to buy at the end of the season. That's logical as everyone is happy to play for this club at the moment.
With the win at Werder Bremen, Union have taken a big step towards staying in the top flight. Nine points above the play-off spot provides a relatively comfortable cushion – particularly as the Fischer team have already played two of the big clubs in the second half of the season in RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund. It will take a lot for this club not to be looking forward to their second season in the Bundesliga in the summer.
Bayern Munich come to the BayArena this Saturday with an 11-point lead in the Bundesliga as they look to take a step closer to the title. As imperious as they may seem, a weakness has emerged of late that the Werkself proved they can exploit in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League. Leverkusen are also looking to make it four Bundesliga home games unbeaten against the Bavarians. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the 15:30 CET kick-off in our matchday news.
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Another home game, another top opponent - another marker? Three days after their convincing performance in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, Bayer 04 continue their Bundesliga campaign with an equally high-calibre fixture. Matchday 26 sees league leaders Bayern Munich visit the sold-out BayArena. Ahead of the clash, head coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke about a comparison between Arsenal and the Bavarians, Bayern's high-scoring performance in Europe's premier club competition and a return to the squad for one Werkself player.
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High spirits and previously untold stories: Around 100 Bayer 04 fans packed the Schwadbud fan pub in the east stand of the BayArena on Thursday evening to be there in person for the first instalment of the new series of events entitled “Rudi lädt ein” (Rudi invites you). They listened intently as long-serving Werkself players Gonzalo Castro and Stefan Kießling chatted with record appearance-maker Rüdiger Vollborn and presenter and stadium announcer Tobias Ufer about their many years together at the club, shared amusing anecdotes and revealed dressing room secrets. Anyone who missed the premiere can already look forward to the second instalment – on 12 May, Rudi will be testing the expert knowledge of Bayer 04 fans during a quiz night.
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The Bundesliga home game against VfL Wolfsburg in the first half of the season was one of those classic ‘days to forget’ for Bayer 04 Women. It started with goalkeeper Charlotte Voll being shown a red card in the first minute of the game, and following a further sending-off, coach Roberto Pätzold's 9-women side ended up losing 5-1 to last season's runners-up. At 18.30 CET on Sunday, they'll have the chance to exact revenge at the AOK Stadium - and pick up valuable points in the race for third place.
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They're well on their way to becoming German champions for the 35th time and once again proved their incredible class in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. This Saturday, 14 March (kick-off: 15.30 CET), Bayern Munich will be the visitors to the BayArena. It'll be a meeting of the two Bundesliga teams with the most dominant styles of play. A look at our opponents shows the visitors from the Bavarian capital have many strengths - but are also vulnerable.
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