With defeat at SpVgg Greuther Fürth, Union Berlin have secured an entry in the Bundesliga history books. However, the 0:1 at the bottom of the table should not weigh the Eisernen down any further or even have any lasting impact.
It helps that the next task is the home game against SC Freiburg on Wednesday. Apart from that, coach Urs Fischer admitted at the matchday press conference on Tuesday that his professionals and he were “disappointed with the result”, but that he could live with Fürth’s performance. His team had “implemented many things well”, said the Union coach, his team had “expended a lot” and had also been “precise in their passing game”. But “not straightforward enough vertically”.
Fischer takes note of the fact that the Eisernen have only won six of their 23 points away from home, but does not see any discrepancy between the performances away from home and at the Alte Försterei. Of course, says the 55-year-old, “you still feel most comfortable in your own living room”, but he doesn’t see his team taking a different approach away from home. Moreover, both in Stuttgart (1-1) and in Cologne (2-2), Union got the equaliser shortly before the end after superior games and thus deprived themselves of the reward of a good performance, says Fischer. In any case, the Swiss added, the performances shown so far “correspond to the possibilities we have. From my point of view, the team has done that very well since the beginning. What counts for me is the way the team is performing. “
According to Fischer, Union will need a strong performance against Freiburg, who have been so successful this season, if they are to take home anything of note. “We have to play at the limit, be efficient and make the right decisions,” stressed the Berlin coach. Freiburg are “rightly up there” and are a team that “looks very stable and well-rehearsed. They are very compact and aggressive in Zone 2. Their vertical play is very straightforward, they are courageous on the ball.” However, of the five competitive matches (four in the league, one in the cup) Union have played against the Breisgauer so far since their promotion as a Bundesliga side in 2019, Fischer’s side have won three (with one draw and one defeat). But, the coach said, “we also had the necessary match luck. “
Friedrich missing
In terms of personnel, Fischer can fall back on the squad that was also available to him in Fürth. In addition to the young player Larenz Dehl, who has undergone surgery, Marvin Friedrich will also be unable to play. The centre-back, who has been absent recently due to illness, resumed training on Tuesday but will “not be an issue” for the clash with Freiburg, according to the coach. The 26-year-old could be available again on Saturday for the match in Bochum.
