Despite holding home advantage at their SchücoArena, Sunday’s hosts, Arminia Bielefeld, face a tough fixture against a 7th placed Union Berlin side who are pushing for a possible top six finish in the Bundesliga, while Bielefeld are fighting relegation.
Arminia Bielefeld currently occupy third from bottom position in the Bundesliga, just one league position and one point above the relegation zone and having lost four out of their last five matches overall in the German top flight, the hosts look to have their work cut out if they’re to get any sort of result here on Sunday.
Recent defeats to Eintracht Frankfurt, Koln, Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund have prevented Arminia Bielefeld from pulling themselves out of the bottom three and they’ve managed to win only five matches to date in this campaign overall.
Their one saving grace perhaps is the fact that four of these five wins have been achieved at their SchücoArena but they’ve lost the other seven of their total of 11 home matches so far this season.
Midfielder Soukou is carrying a knock and may not figure in this clash but he’s the only injury concern for the hosts.
Union Berlin were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Hoffenheim in last weekend’s Bundesliga action which extended their unbeaten run to three matches which included a draw at home with Schalke and a 1-0 win away from home at 8th placed Freiburg.
The visitors still remain on the fringes of the top six of the Bundesliga in 7th place but their challenge for a top six spot has been slowed down by the number of draws that they’ve been involved in so far this season.
No fewer than 10 of Union Berlin’s 23 matches to date in this season’s Bundesliga campaign have ended in stalemate but seven of these 10 draws have been recorded on home turf at their Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
Union Berlin have also managed to register just one win from their last seven matches overall while results away from home have also been inconsistent: 4 wins, 3 draws and 4 defeats have been the product of their outings on the road to date this term, but they’re unbeaten in their last seven meetings against their hosts, winning 5-0 at home in the last encounter.
Forwards Awoniyi and Becker are both injured while defender Giesselmann has a shoulder injury and all three are set to miss out here.
Union Berlin could record a narrow win at Bielefeld on Sunday.