After the international break for Euro 2020 qualifiers, 1. FC Union Berlin will return to action at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei on Saturday March 30, with SC Paderborn the guests for the 27th 2.Bundesliga match of the season.

Particularly special about the weekend’s sold-out match is the return of Paderborn coach Steffen Baumgart, who has a strong connection to Union having scored 21 goals in the 2.Bundesliga between 2002 and 2004.

Review: Frustration in Heidenheim, Paderborn back to winning form

Urs Fischer’s team were left disappointed a fortnight ago following the 2-1 loss at 1. FC Heidenheim — despite the Berliners controlling the first 45 minutes. However, Union made the most of the free weekend and are back in good spirits for the return of league football. “We are certainly looking forward to the game. It was good that the players could switch off over two or three days. They have trained really well this week,” the Union coach said in the pre-match press conference.

In midweek, however, Union Berlin made the trip to Rot-Weiß Erfurt and exercised their weight on the Regionalliga Nordost club. Suleiman Abdullahi bagged a first-half hat trick to put the game beyond doubt, but Fischer was equally satisfied by the intent of his side. “The friendly was really important. I wanted a very controlled appearance there. Important for me that we took is very seriously. We did that. When you take the games seriously and score three goals, it gives us a good feeling. It was an important game for Suleiman,“ he added.

Baumgart’s Paderborn lead the Rückrunde table with an impressive 16 points from nine matches and a superior goal difference. In the process, Paderborn have scored 22 goals — the best rate in the 2.Bundesliga. A 3-1 win over Ingolstadt before the break brought a winning feeling back to his side after two successive defeats — to Erzgebirge Aue & FC St. Pauli — and a draw in Magdeburg.

Record: Ostwestfalen club feel at home in Berlin

Paderborn are currently on a three-game unbeaten streak at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. Their last visit to Köpenick saw them come away with a 2-0 win in October 2015, and they won and drew on their two previous trips to the capital. Union’s last home win over Paderborn came in August 2011 — a 3-0 triumph with goals from Christian Stuff and Christopher Quiring, who netted a double.  

Personnel: Prömel returns

After he served a one-match suspension through our defeat at 1. FC Heidenheim, Grischa Prömel will be available for selection again. Fabain Schönheim and Eroll Zejnullahu are the only two players struggling for fitness this week. Meanwhile, the coach opened the door for Sebastian Polter to make a surprise return following his recovery from a foot problem.

“Polter has stepped up training in the week,” confirmed Fischer. “He has given everything. He has competed in duels, shot lots, everything. We have a final training session where you never know what can happen. Things happen quickly. We’ll see.“

Service: No home tickets left

The club can confirm that all home sections of the stadium are completely sold out. The secondary ticket market is open for those who are still interested in purchasing any available tickets. Paderborn are expected to bring around 1,000 supporters to Berlin and tickets can still be bought for the away section. Saturday's kick-off time is 13:00 in Berlin.