For last season’s DFB Pokal runners-up Borussia Dortmund, it will once again be another stressful experience as they try their luck after losing two consecutive finals. They will host Union Berlin who are doing well in the second tier.
The Black and Yellows are having a rough start to the season after a busy squad overhaul in the summer. Eight new summer signings along with five departures forged a brand new Dortmund squad, which is currently sixth in Bundesliga. Thomas Tuchel’s men are currently winless in three consecutive Bundesliga games. The away form of BVB has been poor this season, with two defeats and just four points in four games.
In the last match day, Dortmund were held 3:3 by winless Ingolstadt. Two first half goals from Ingolstadt set the stage up perfectly for Die Schanzer but Christian Pulisic’s late tap-in was enough for Thomas Tuchel’s men to salvage a point.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has once again been Dortmund’s most potent attacker this season with seven goals and a goal behind leading scorer Anthony Modeste of Cologne. Recently, the Gabonese International was rewarded with a place in the nominees for 2016 Ballon D’Or.
Union Berlin, on the other hand, are enjoying a very good start to the season. Die Eiserne are second in the 2.Liga with 20 points, five behind leaders Eintracht Braunschweig. The Berliners have lost only twice this season. 25-year-old striker Colin Quaner has been a revelation this season, as he is leading the Union strike force with seven goals in just 551 mins of league football.
In the first round, Union Berlin needed the extra time to beat MSV Duisburg 2:1 while Dortmund swooped past the challenge of Eintracht Trier despite conceding first.
Despite their strong start to the season, Union Berlin will see themselves as heavy underdogs when they collide with mighty Borussia Dortmund. Union coach Jens Keller was giving humble comments in the press conference ahead of the match.
“This is a cup game, and anything can happen, we will go there and try to do the impossible”
“We have bring our physicality and rusticity in our play” said Keller – who returned to the big stage after he was released as Schalke boss in 2014 but he attached no real importance to it as he said “I am with passion and conviction at Union Berlin as a coach and do revel in memories but have no real desire to it” – per Sport1
Team News
Dortmund are in an injury crisis at the moment, defenders Sven Bender, Neven Subotic, Erik Durm are all missing through injury also including vice-captain and left-back Marcel Schmelzer.
In the attacking department, Tuchel will miss the services of new signing Raphael Guerreiro and club captain Marco Reus while young Turkish sensation Emre Mor will miss out due to his two-game suspension for shoving Sebastian Langkamp in the face.
For Union, they will be without right back Benjamin Kessel and veteran midfielder Benjamin Kohler, who is out with a knee injury. While 23-year-old winger Maximilian Thiel will also miss the clash.
Predicted Lineups
Borussia Dortmund: (4-1-4-1 formation) Roman Weidenfeller; Lukasz Piszczek, Matthias Ginter, Marc Bartra, Felix Passlack; Julian Weigl; Ousmane Dembele, Mario Gotze, Sebastian Rode, Gonzalo Castro; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Union Berlin: (4-1-2-3 formation) Jakob Busk; Christopher Trimmel, Roberto Puncec. Tony Leistner, Michael Parensen; Stephan Furstner; Damir Kreilach, Felix Kroos; Steven Skrzybski, Philip Hosiner, Colin Quaner.
