Braunschweig vs. Union Berlin – News and Probable Lineups

This weekend, Eintracht Braunschweig and Union Berlin will face each other for the first time in eight years, as they meet in the opening round of the DFB Pokal on Sunday.

Following the commencement of the 2. Bundesliga season, Braunschweig has already played two competitive fixtures, while Union will formally kick off their season with this away trip to the Eintracht-Stadion.

Match overview

Braunschweig’s head coach Lars Kornetka has been with the club since last March and has played a crucial role in steering the team clear from a precarious relegation scenario.

Under Kornetka, the team secured 11 vital points from their last ten matches in the 2. Bundesliga, ultimately finishing in 15th place and avoiding relegation by goal difference, despite being tied on points with relegated Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Having now completed a full pre-season, Kornetka witnessed his squad record an impressive 6-1 away win against FC Magdeburg in their opening match of the new season.

This positive momentum, however, was somewhat diminished by a subsequent 1-0 defeat at home to VfL Bochum, which may have taken some of the confidence away from Braunschweig ahead of their cup fixture on Sunday.

Historically, the DFB Pokal hasn’t been kind to the Lions, as they have been eliminated in the first round seven times out of the last nine seasons.

Meanwhile, Union Berlin is gearing up for an exciting campaign after appointing Mauro Lustrinelli as their new manager.

The 50-year-old achieved a remarkable feat in Switzerland over the past two years, taking FC Thun from the second tier to the Swiss Super League and subsequently leading them to a stunning title victory.

Union also made headlines at the end of last season when Steffen Baumgart was succeeded by Marie-Louise Eta.

At 35 years old, Eta became the first female head coach in one of Europe’s top leagues and helped alleviate the club’s relegation worries with two crucial victories.

Now in charge of Union’s women’s team, Eta has entrusted the men’s side to Lustrinelli, who is tasked with leading the first team.

Over the summer, the club has made notable signings, including the £3m acquisition of Michel Aebischer from Italian side Pisa, as well as a loan deal for former Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Lustrinelli will be looking for the new signings to make a significant impact domestically, particularly in the DFB-Pokal, where their semi-final run in 2021-22 stands out as their most notable achievement in recent times.

Team News

For Braunschweig, they will head into Sunday’s encounter without Robin Heusser due to a torn ligament.

Muscle injuries will likely keep both Sidney Raebiger and Sidi Sane sidelined.

Similarly, new signing Frederik Jakel is also on the sidelines as he recovers his match fitness following a knee injury.

Yann Sturm and Jan Urbich have joined the Braunschweig squad over the summer, and may feature in Sunday’s cup match.

Union will also be without several players for their first competitive match of the season.

Oliver Burke is sidelined with an Achilles tendon issue and will not be counted on.

Andrik Markgraf and Stanley Nsoki have knee and muscular injuries, respectively, while Frederik Ronnow and Robert Skov are reportedly not in optimal condition.

Latte Lath is likely to start in the forward line following his loan move from MLS outfit Atlanta United.

Eintracht Braunschweig probable starting XI:

Hoffmann; Aydin, Ehlers, Hoti, Sanchez; Flick; Di Benedetto, Marie; Opoku, Urbich, Storm

Union Berlin probable starting XI:

Klaus; Juranovic, Querfeld, van den Bosch, Rothe; Khedira, Kemlein; Jeong, Burcu; Latte Lath, Ansah

Eintracht Braunschweig will be motivated for Sunday’s match, as this presents a rare chance to challenge themselves against Bundesliga adversaries.

However, Union Berlin possesses enough talent in their squad to potentially secure an away victory and move on to the next stage.