Eastern rivals Dynamo Dresden will make the 200km trip to Berlin for the penultimate league game of 2017 at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. After the personnel changes in the dugout this week, Andre Hofschneider will begin his second stint as head coach with a sell-out crowd in Köpenick.

Hofschneider, previous coach of the U19 side, is tasked with lifting Union out of a rut of three games without a win in the league. On the other side, Union will welcome back their most successful coach of all-time in Uwe Neuhaus, who has also worked alongside Hofschneider at the Alte Försterei.

The 47-year-old wore the red-and-white shirt as a professional player between 1988 and 1994, and served as an assistant coach for over 300 games. At the pre-match press conference, Hofschneider pointed out the emotional significance of the encounter. “That alone will bring out the extra percentages in order to survive in this game,” said the Union coach, who doesn’t expect any changes in the personnel on the treatment table.

Neuhaus’ side arrive in Köpenick full of confidence after two wins on the bounce against Fortuna Düsseldorf and Erzgebirge Aue, respectively. It’s a big challenge for new coach Hofschneider, who made it clear that his intention is to maintain this season’s solid home form.

“We aren’t guided by what Dresden is doing. We’re that confident,” he said. “We respect the good coach, the good system and good team – which is better than recent results show. But we’re playing at home and of course we are focused on winning this game.”

The local authorities have requested that all supporters arriving in Berlin observe the relevant fan information for the fixture. With the match already sold out, the box office in the home and away sections will not be open. All fans are advised to arrive in sufficient time for security checks with a high volume of traffic expected in-and-around the stadium grounds.