1. FC Union Berlin will welcome MSV Duisburg to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei for matchday five in the 2018/19 2.Bundesliga campaign on Friday September 14, with an 18:30 kick-off in Köpenick.

No goals, no points — A difficult start:

Ilia Gruev’s team languish at the foot of the table after four matches, having not even been able to find the back of the net. In their last match before the international break, Duisburg went down to a 1-0 defeat against Greuther Fürth on home soil. Gruev’s team did manage to progress, however, in the DFB Pokal, beating TuS Dassendorf from the regional fifth-tier in Hamburg.

While the form table would point to a clear win for Union, head coach Urs Fischer has warned against any form of complacency. “If we don’t show the necessary respect for this match and the opponent, then we’ll be in for a nasty surprise. We saw it in Sandhausen, where for many people, everything but a win felt like a defeat,” noted the 52-year-old coach at the pre-match press conference. The Berliners are undefeated in all competitions this season and enter the fifth matchday in third place.

Strong record vs. MSV:

Union and Duisburg have gone head-to-head 20 times in competitive matches — 18 second division encounters and two clashes in the German Cup. In the league, the Köpenick club have won seven, drawn six and lost five times to MSV, who were a founding member of the Bundesliga in 1963. The last home loss to the Zebras was eight years ago, with the sides drawing on both occasions in the 17/18 league campaign.

There will be a reunion with two familiar faces in the Duisburg squad, with Sven Beuckert and Daniel Mesenhöler returning to the Alte Försterei. Former goalkeeper Beuckert played almost 100 times for Union between 2000 and 2003 and is most remembered for his stand-out performances in Union’s run to the German Cup final in 2001. Beuckert, now a goalkeeper coach, delivered a memorable performance in the semi-final against Borussia Mönchengladbach, saving two spot kicks in the shootout and sending the Köpenick to the final.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Mesenhöler is back in the capital following his move to Duisburg in the summer. The German U20 international, who made 14 league appearances for Union last season, has yet to make his debut for Gruev’s side.

Matchday information and tickets:

Fans who wish to purchase tickets on matchday can do so at the box office areas at the home end of the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. There are still plenty available for different sections of the stadium. +

Important: Due to the ongoing renovation work of the main stand, there will be changes and restrictions on matchday.

You can follow updates of the match from our English-language Twitter account here.

You can find the updated entrance plan here for VIP areas.