Facing off for the second time in four days, Union Berlin will welcome Bundesliga rivals FC Koln to Stadion An der Alten Forsterei on Sunday.

Die Eisernen are looking for a first win in four games, while the Billy Goats are hoping to build on their DFB-Pokal triumph.

Match preview

Mauro Lustrinelli's Union seem to have found their feet in recent weeks after a dire beginning to their Bundesliga campaign, but they will need to avoid falling back into a losing pattern this weekend.

Die Eisernen drew their top-flight opener 3-3 with Bayer Leverkusen, though they followed it up with three consecutive defeats.

However, Lustrinelli's side returned from the September international break with renewed vigour, beating Elversberg 1-0 on October 10 before impressively holding Borussia Dortmund to a 0-0 stalemate a week later, and collecting a point in a 1-1 draw with Augsburg.

That three-game undefeated run may not have lifted Union out of the relegation zone, where they sit 17th with six points, but they are level with 16th-placed Schalke 04 and 15th-placed Stuttgart having racked up all but one of their points this month.

Unfortunately for the Berliners, their streak of resilience was shattered in the DFB-Pokal's second round on Tuesday, when they were thrashed 5-0 by Sunday's opponents.

Meanwhile, Rene Wagner's Koln have endured a mixed season to date, but they will be optimistic ahead of this weekend's trip to the capital.

The Billy Goats are currently 12th in the Bundesliga with eight points, having won two, drawn two and lost three of their eight matches so far.

Wagner's side will be buoyed by their emphatic victory over Union at RheinEnergieStadion this week, which meant that the club have only lost one of their last four outings across all competitions.

That being said, fans will be cautious about Koln playing on the road on Sunday, given their single defeat during that stretch came at Eintracht Frankfurt - 1-0 on October 16.

In fact, the visitors have lost all three of their Bundesliga matches away from home in 2026-27, conceding seven times and scoring just twice in the process.

Union Berlin Bundesliga form:

Union Berlin form (all competitions):

FC Koln Bundesliga form:

FC Koln form (all competitions):

Team News

Union are without Stanley Nsoki due to a calf injury, while fellow centre-back Felix Uduokhai is suspended after picking up a red card against Augsburg, and left-back Andrik Markgraf is dealing with a knee problem.

In their absence, Leopold Querfeld and Zeno Van Den Bosch could start at the heart of the hosts' defence, flanked by Janik Haberer and Tom Rothe.

Further forward, wide man Robert Skov is unavailable, and striker Andrej Ilic remains sidelined as he recovers from appendix surgery, though Emmanuel Latte Lath should be ready to operate up top, supported by Woo-yeong Jeong, Michel Aebischer and Livan Burcu.

As for Koln, they are lighter up top than ideal with centre-forwards Imad Rondic, Ragnar Ache (thigh), and Thijs Dallinga (cruciate ligament injury) all out of action, so Marius Bulter and Said El Mala look set to start up front.

At the opposite end of the pitch, centre-backs Timo Hubers and Rav van den Berg are missing due to respective knee and muscle injuries, while defensive midfielder Ellyes Skhiri has an ankle issue that is likely to keep him out until early 2027.

Filling the gaps, Wagner may opt for a three-man backline featuring Joel Schmied, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Tom Krauss, shielded by Paul Okon-Engstler in the centre of the park.

Union Berlin possible starting lineup:

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

FC Koln possible starting lineup:

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

We say: Union Berlin 1-1 FC Koln

Union may have been hammered by Koln in midweek, but they have proven resilient in recent Bundesliga matches, and will be hoping to bounce back with a stronger showing in front of a home crowd.

Koln have struggled on the road this season, losing each of their three away league matches to date, and a draw would mark an improvement in that regard.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.