Union Berlin vs FC Cologne – News and Probable Lineups

Union Berlin is set to host FC Koln for the second time in just four days at the Stadium An der Alten Forsterei this coming Sunday.

Die Eisernen aim for their first victory in four matches, while the Billy Goats seek to build on their DFB-Pokal success.

Match overview

Mauro Lustrinelli’s squad appears to be gaining momentum following a rough start to their Bundesliga season; however, they must steer clear of a return to negative results this weekend.

Die Eisernen kicked off the season with a 3-3 draw against Bayer Leverkusen but quickly followed that with three straight losses.

Nonetheless, Lustrinelli’s men returned from the September international break with renewed energy, achieving a 1-0 victory over Elversberg on October 10, followed by an impressive 0-0 draw against Borussia Dortmund a week later, and rounding it off with a 1-1 draw against Augsburg.

That unbeaten streak of three games may not have successfully lifted Union out of the relegation zone, where they currently sit 17th with six points, yet they are level on points with both Schalke 04 in 16th and Stuttgart in 15th, having accumulated all but one of their points this month.

Unfortunately for the Berlin club, their streak of resilience was interrupted in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, where they suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of Koln.

Meanwhile, Rene Wagner’s Koln have had a mixed bag of results thus far but will look forward optimistically to their upcoming fixture in the capital.

The Billy Goats currently find themselves in 12th place in the Bundesliga with eight points, having secured two wins, two draws, and three losses across their first eight matches.

Wagner’s team will be boosted by their commanding win over Union at RheinEnergieStadion this week, which has led them to lose only one of their last four matches in all competitions.

That said, fans may feel apprehensive about Koln’s away form, as their sole defeat during this span occurred at Eintracht Frankfurt, losing 1-0 on October 16.

In fact, the visitors have struggled on the road, having lost all three of their Bundesliga fixtures away from home for the 2026-27 season, conceding seven goals and managing just two in return.

Team News

For Union, they will be without Stanley Nsoki due to a calf problem, and fellow centre-back Felix Uduokhai is suspended after receiving a red card against Augsburg. Additionally, left-back Andrik Markgraf is dealing with a knee injury.

In their absence, Leopold Querfeld and Zeno Van Den Bosch may be called upon to fortify the hosts’ defence, supported by Janik Haberer and Tom Rothe.

In forward positions, wide player Robert Skov is unavailable, and striker Andrej Ilic is still nursing his recovery from appendix surgery. However, Emmanuel Latte Lath is expected to play up front, assisted by Woo-yeong Jeong, Michel Aebischer, and Livan Burcu.

As for Koln, they are somewhat limited in the forward department with centre-forwards Imad Rondic, Ragnar Ache (thigh), and Thijs Dallinga (cruciate ligament injury) all unavailable, so Marius Bulter and Said El Mala are poised to start in attack.

At the back, centre-backs Timo Hubers and Rav van den Berg are sidelined due to knee and muscle injuries respectively, while defensive midfielder Ellyes Skhiri has an ankle issue expected to keep him out until early 2027.

To fill these holes, Wagner might implement a three-man defence consisting of Joel Schmied, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Tom Krauss, with Paul Okon-Engstler providing cover in midfield.

Union Berlin probable starting XI:

Ronnow; Haberer, Querfeld, Van Den Bosch, Rothe; Schafer, Khedira; Jeong, Aebischer, Burcu; Latte Lath

FC Koln probable starting XI:

Swabian; Schmied, Simpson-Pusey, Krauss; Okon Engstler; Castro-Montes, Moore, Maina, Sosa; El Mala, Bulter

Though Union experienced a tough defeat by Koln midweek, they have shown resilience in recent Bundesliga encounters and will seek to rebound with a powerful performance in front of their home fans.

Koln has encountered difficulties on the road this season, dropping all three of their league encounters away from home so far, and earning a draw would be seen as a positive development in that context.