Ahead of this weekend’s Berlin Derby, we take an in-depth look at the history of Germany’s great rivalry between cross-city foes 1. FC Union Berlin and Hertha BSC.
Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, Hertha hosted Union in a friendly at the Olympiastadion in January 1990, marking the first meeting between the two clubs.
However, the first competitive meeting didn’t come until September 2010, when the teams played out a 1-1 draw at Union’s Stadion An der Alten Forsterei.
To this day, the two rivals have met for 12 competitive encounters – four in the second tier between 2010 and 2013, seven in the Bundesliga and one in the DFB-Pokal.
Union have won six of the 12 competitive meetings between the teams, while Hertha have claimed three victories, with the other three matches ending in a draw.
It is also worth noting that Hertha have not beaten Union since 2020, with the Iron Ones securing four consecutive Berlin Derby triumphs between 2021 and 2022.
Last season, Union did the league double over their fierce rivals, thrashing Hertha 4-1 at the Olympiastadion before winning 3-1 on home soil.
In terms of goals, the 12 competitive meetings between Union and Hertha have produced a total of 39 goals, meaning the fixture has a goals-per-game ratio of 3.25.
Eight of the 12 matches have dished up over 2.5 goals (75%), with six of the encounters producing over 3.5 goals (50%), highlighting the frenetic nature of the Berlin Derby.
In Union’s first Bundesliga campaign in 2019-20, the teams finished level on 41 points. However, the Iron Ones have outperformed their bitter foes in the previous two seasons.
Union finished seventh in 2020-21 – 15 points clear of fourteenth-placed Hertha – before finishing fifth last season, while Union finished 24 points behind in sixteenth place.
In the current Bundesliga standings, title-chasing Union find themselves second – three points behind Bayern Munich – having won 10 of their 17 matches this season.
At the opposite end of the table, relegation-strugglers Hertha sit second from bottom – two points from safety and 19 points shy of Union with just three wins to their name.
Hertha host Union at the Olympiastadion this Saturday, with the Iron Ones in pole position to claim the Berlin bragging rights. Who will come out on top this time around? We’ll have to wait and see!