Bundesliga 2025-2026: Union Berlin-Eintracht Frankfurt, the likely lineups

Friday’s 8:30 p.m. evening match between Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt opens the 21st day of the Bundesliga. At the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in Berlin, a match will be staged that will pit two teams in extreme difficulty in the last period.

The’Union, after an astonishing start with 6 wins and 3 draws in the first 15 matches, an unhoped-for haul for those who at the beginning of the season were given to fight relegation, is going through a dark moment. The red-and-whites are looking for their first win of 2026, the last being dated Dec. 20 on the field of Cologne 0-1. One of the causes of this tarnish is certainly the defensive phase, which seems to have lost those automatisms and compactness that had distinguished Baumgart’s team at the beginning of the championship, to make the situation worse is the injury of Leite, Portuguese central and pivot of the defense. The German coach to make up for this defection will deploy young Querfeld in defense with Doekhi and Nsoki on his sides to make up the 3-man defense ready to screen Ronnow’s goal; the outside midfielders will be Haberer and Kohn, in the middle of the field will act Khedira and Kemlein, in the three-quarter space will be given to Burke and Ansah who will support the forward Ilic.

The farewell of Dino Toppmöller on the Eintracht bench was inevitable: the Rossoneri have been missing the appointment with victory for 2 months and in the last period the defensive problems (already highlighted at the beginning of the championship) have increased: 45 goals have been conceded in 20 matches, making it the worst defense in the competition, tied with Heidenheim, the bottom of the table, far too many for a team that was a candidate for European qualification. In his place was made official this week by Spaniard Albert Riera, who will try to introduce new schemes and game ideas to a young team. L’former Spanish national team midfielder will have to do without some pawns in the attack: Ebnoutalib, Burkardt (absent since November due to a calf problem) and Batshuayi will not be in the match and will propose an unprecedented 4-1-4-1 with Santos in goal, 4-man defense line with Kristensen and Brown wide and Koch Theate (former Bologna) in the center of defense, in front of them will be Larsson. Three-quarter manned by the timeless Mario Götze and Chaibi, on the flanks are Knauff and Japan&#8217s Doan ready to serve the lone forward Kalimuendo.

Probable lineups

Union Berlin (3-4-2-1): Rönnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Nsoki; Haberer, R. Khedira, Kemlein, Köhn; Burke, Ansah; Ilic. All. Baumgart

Eintracht Frankfurt (3-4-2-1): Santos; Kristensen, Koch, Theate, Brown; Larsson; Dōan, Götze, Chaïbi, Knauff; Kalimuendo. All. Riera