Match Preview: Borussia Dortmund Face Union Berlin In the Wake of Super League Announcement

Over the weekend, the football world was stunned as Borussia Dortmund’s dominant 4-1 win over Werder Bremen instilled such fear in the hearts of “leading European football clubs” that they were forced to create a new competition without BVB! In all seriousness, though, why’d they have to ruin our first comfortable victory in months with the announcement of the Super League? Florentino Perez couldn’t have given us at least a day to relax?

Getting back on topic, the black and yellows will be back at the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday to face Union Berlin. The East German side have had an incredibly successful Bundesliga campaign on the back of staunch defending and intelligent game planning. Manager Urs Fischer has also developed a knack for beating BVB during his time at Union, having won two out of his three Bundesliga matches against Die Schwarzgelben. This match will be a difficult hurdle in Dortmund’s race for the top four, as BVB need three points, and Union have only lost six games on the season.

Dortmund may have some good news heading into this match, though, as Edin Terzic in the Pre-match press conference has teased the possibility of Jadon Sancho returning to the squad. After spending so much time on the sideline, it seems unlikely that the Englishmen will start against Union, but having his presence on the bench would be a massive boon for the club. If the game is close with 20 minutes to spare, he could be just the super-sub this squad needs.

How Will Dortmund Lineup?

With Thomas Delaney officially ruled out for Wednesday, Edin Terzic will once again have to sort out the midfield. Options are limited, and Gio Reyna’s encouraging performance against Bremen will likely see him into the starting 11 again. Against a side like Union, who is likely to play with a lower defensive line, BVB will need a proper wide-attacking option who can whip in crosses and beat defenders. Either Thorgan Hazard or Ansgar Knauff would suffice, but given Knauff’s form, he would seem to be the better option.

As for the rest of the squad, it’s hard to imagine that there can be any further rotation. Dortmund are either too injured or do not have suitable replacements in several positions within the team. Łukas Piszczek might be an option at right back, but whether or not he could play for even 60 minutes is a huge question mark. Hopefully, these ever-present players will be able to soldier on for the remainder of the season.

Prediction

I expect that Dortmund will have a strong start just as they have in their last few games; it’s just a question of if we can take advantage of that. BVB can’t afford to give up a silly counter-attacking goal to Union as they did against Werder. Union is simply too defensively strong, and it would play right into their hands. Despite this possibility, I’m feeling optimistic about this match, and I think BVB’s quality will win out.