Union Berlin and Schalke 04 are both chasing their first Bundesliga victory of the season when they meet at Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Friday evening.

The opening two rounds have produced one point apiece, although Schalke arrive with renewed confidence after frustrating Bayern Munich, while Union need a response after a heavy defeat at Bayer Leverkusen.

Analysis

Union Berlin

It has been a difficult opening fortnight for Mauro Lustrinelli, whose Union side have already conceded seven goals in two Bundesliga matches.

Their opening 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt contained both sides of the story. Union showed enough attacking threat to score three times, but repeatedly surrendered control and eventually required a stoppage-time goal to escape with a point.

There was considerably less to admire against Bayer Leverkusen. Union conceded twice in each half of a 4-0 defeat and struggled to establish themselves at either end of the pitch.

That leaves Lustrinelli looking for solutions surprisingly early in his tenure. Two games hardly constitute a crisis, but after an unsettled 2025-26 campaign, Union will not want another season to become dominated by concerns at the wrong end of the table.

Friday appears to offer a more manageable assignment than the trip to Leverkusen, but Union’s recent home record provides little guarantee. They have won only two of their 10 competitive matches at the Alten Försterei during 2026.

Their task is complicated further by several absences. Andrej Ilic and Oliver Burke are unavailable up front, while Kastriot Imeri is also sidelined. Marin Ljubicic and Emmanuel Latte Lath could therefore be paired in attack.

Defensive injuries are another concern after last weekend’s collapse. Marvin Friedrich and Stanley N’Soki are unavailable, while Andrik Markgraf continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.

Lustrinelli needs a much more controlled display, particularly against opponents who should be perfectly comfortable allowing Union possession and waiting for opportunities to counter.

Schalke 04

Schalke’s return to the Bundesliga began with a 3-0 defeat at Augsburg, but the scoreline did not tell the entire story. Ron Schallenberg’s dismissal with Schalke only one goal behind fundamentally changed that contest, and Miron Muslic received a much more encouraging performance from his players against Bayern Munich.

Holding the champions to a goalless draw represented an excellent result for a newly-promoted team and provided early evidence that Schalke may possess the organisation required to compete at this level.

Loris Karius was instrumental. The goalkeeper made five saves against Bayern after producing 10 against Augsburg and has already emerged as an important figure in Schalke’s survival campaign.

The challenge now is to turn defensive resilience into victories. Schalke have yet to score in the Bundesliga this season, so Muslic needs more from his attacking players if the club are to establish themselves outside the relegation battle.

Friday could provide an opportunity. Union have looked extremely vulnerable defensively, conceding three against Frankfurt and four against Leverkusen, and Schalke should expect more openings than they received against Bayern.

Schallenberg remains suspended following his red card against Augsburg, meaning Satoshi Tanaka could join Soufian El-Faouzi centrally. Junior Dina Ebimbe and Robin Gosens should again provide width from the wing-back positions.

The promoted side are unlikely to suddenly adopt an expansive approach after the success of their game plan against Bayern. Another disciplined performance, combined with a greater willingness to attack Union’s weakened defence, could make them particularly awkward opponents.

Verdict

Union have home advantage and arguably greater individual quality, but their first two performances have raised serious questions about their defensive organisation. Seven goals conceded in 180 minutes is difficult to overlook.

Schalke, meanwhile, should take enormous confidence from keeping Bayern scoreless. Their own lack of goals remains a concern, but Union appear vulnerable enough to give the visitors opportunities.

This looks considerably more balanced than home advantage alone might suggest. We expect a tight contest, with Schalke capable of extending Union’s wait for a first victory.

Tip

Our tip: Schalke 04 double chance (win or draw).