1. FC Union Berlin will be put under the microscope ahead of the second half of the league season on January 26 (14:30) against Swiss giants FC Basel at St. Jakob-Park.

Urs Fischer’s men will head across the border after the winter camp to take on the seven-time Champions League participants, who have won 12 of the last 15 Swiss league titles. It is the perfect test for the Köpenick club with tough matches against 1. FC Köln and FC St. Pauli to begin the second half of the campaign.

Basel, fourth in the Swiss league, were beaten to the title last season by Young Boys Bern and then knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers at the hands of PAOK Salonika, before suffering a loss to Apollon Limassol in the Europa League playoff round. The side coached by Marcel Koller still retains an international feel, including Czech skipper Marek Suchy, Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Albanian central midfielder Taulant Xhaka.

This will be the first clash between the two clubs. For the Swiss side, however, there is a return of an old acquaintance — our coach Fischer, who was boss in Basel between 2015 and 2017. Fischer won two championships and won the Swiss Cup, achieving the club’s sixth double in one season.