Following the cancellation of Friday's match against 1. FSV Mainz 05 and an unexpected weekend off, 1. FC Union Berlin's Bundesliga squad will travel to Munich for their next match with FC Bayern on Wednesday evening. Kick off at the Allianz Arena is at 20:30.

The opponents

The away game in Munich is undoubtedly one of the most difficult tasks of the Bundesliga season. In the four previous meetings in the Bavarian capital, Union have lost three times - only in April 2021 were the Berliners able to secure a 1-1 draw thanks to a late equaliser from Marcus Ingvartsen. The record champions are also in good form this year, having lost only twice in 17 games, the 5-1 reverse at Eintracht Frankfurt and last Sunday when, n front of a home crowd, coach Thomas Tuchel's team conceded a 1-0 defeat to SV Werder Bremen. It was a historic victory for Bremen, who have not won away from FCB for almost 16 years. The loss leaves Bayern in second place in the table, seven points behind Leverkusen.

That game was notable for the lack of goals from striker, Harry Kane. The former Tottenham Hotspurs player has already set numerous records in his short time at Bayern so far, scoring 22 times in 17 matches, and with three braces - both of which are Bundesliga bests at this stage of the season. On average, the 89-time England international needs less than three shots on goal to score.

In the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, Bayern progressed unbeaten to the round of 16 as group leaders. With victories at Manchester United and at home against Galatasaray, they  extended their unbeaten record in the group stage to 34 matches. It was a different story in the DFB Pokal, however, where they were beaten 2-1 by third-division side Saarbrücken and were knocked out in the second round for the third time in four years.

The reunion

Born in Starnberg, Benedict Hollerbach was trained in the youth ranks of FC Bayern and went through all the youth teams from U14 to U19. Under current HSV coach Tim Walter, the attacker won the German B-Junior Championship in the 2016/17 season and scored a goal in the final, a 2-0 win over Werder Bremen.

The head to head

Union have taken only three draws and five defeats from the sides' eight competitive games against each other. Last season, they lost 3-0 in Munich, but picked up a point at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

The personnel

Rani Khedira and Josip Juranović will not be available on Wednesday evening due to injury.

The coach's view ahead of the game

"FC Bayern München are one of the most difficult opponents you can face in the Bundesliga," said Union's head coach, Nenad Bjelica ahead of the re-scheduled tie. "But like SV Werder Bremen, we're hoping to take our chances and capitalise on them to come home with one or more points. Munich will certainly go into the game with anger in their stomachs, which is why we want to go into the clash with maximum discipline, aggression and courage." 

Service information

A good 1,600 tickets have been sold for the guest block in the Allianz Arena. However, due to the recently announced rail strike by the train drivers' union, massive disruptions to DB long-distance and local transport and the Munich S-Bahn are to be expected and many Union fans will have to organise an alternative way of travelling to and from Munich. Strike-related delays and occasional cancellations are also possible for other railway companies. The bus and underground lines in Munich are not affected. Further information about travelling to the stadium in Munich can be found here (German).

Union merchandise can be purchased on site at the Fahr-Zeughaus. 

The match will be broadcast live on Sky, and there will also be an audio stream on rbb24 Inforadio and rbb24. As usual, Union will also provide information about the match via the club's own live ticker, as well as in English and Spanish on Twitter.