Andre Hofschneider’s Union Berlin are out to end a frustrating run of results in the second division when Nürnberg come to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Friday.

The first home game against the Franconians should set the tone for an exciting second half of the season still to come.

After a spell in Spain for warm weather training, Union Berlin returned to league duties in midweek, drawing 2-2 against Holstein Kiel. Victory on home soil would at least give Hofschneider’s side an extra dose of momentum going into the second chunk of the campaign.

It will be the second game in the space of a few days for the Köpenick club, but Union coach isn’t concerned in the slightest about a crammed schedule. “They are fully-trained professionals who should be able to play every three or four days. In this case, it’s the same situation because Nürnberg also played on Tuesday,” responded Hofschneider.

“Our style of play is designed to score goals and create chances,” explained Hofschneider when asked his playing style going forward. “I’d rather win 4-2 than 1-0, I’ll admit that. If we attack, the enemy has to follow our lead. We’ve got a good attacking team that our opponents has to deal with first.”

Meanwhile, Michael Köllner’s side have the opportunity to move to the summit of the league – at least temporarily – with a victory at the Alte Försterei. Nürnberg lost 2-1 at home to Jahn Regensburg last week, but there will be little concern before the trip to Berlin given have the best away form and chance conversion rate in the league.

Köllner described Friday’s meeting under the lights as a “trend-setting encounter” for both clubs. “This will be a hard game,” he added in the pre-match press conference. “Only top athletes can process such setbacks and bounce back like this. We know it’s gonna take some effort,” Köllner said.

Nürnberg, who earned a 2-2 draw from the season’s previous encounter, should be able to call upon centre-back Ewerton, but his status remains unclear. Defender Ondrej Petrak is out after sustaining injury in the defeat to Jahn Regensburg. “We’ll need to wait for the final training session to decide,” added the Nürnberg coach.

There are still some tickets remaining at the box office for Friday’s clash at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. The gates will be open for the first home match of 2018 from 17:00 local time.