On Wednesday, 19.10.2022, 1. FC Union Berlin will host the 2.Liga side 1. FC Heidenheim in the second round of the DFB Pokal. Kick off at the Alte Försterei is at 20.45. The teams have had a similarly short run-up to this fixture, having both played on Sunday in their respective leagues.

The opponents

The club from Baden-Württemberg are currently enjoying what can be considered a pretty "normal" season  - at least as opposed to the extraordinary times the Unioner are currently experiencing. Heidenheim have played twelve matches in the 2. Liga so far, and are sat in a strong 4th place in the table. Frank Schmidt's promotion chasing side, however lost to a Steven Skrzybski inspired Holstein Kiel at the weekend, in only their second defeat of the season. Prior to that they had remained unbeaten for eight games in a row, picking up 14 points out of a possible 24.

Long-time coach Schmidt, who celebrated his 15th anniversary at the club in September, has tended towards sending his team out in a 4-1-4-1 formation this season. Sometimes this would be swapped for either a forward three, or a diamond in midfield, particularly earlier on in the season. The main constant has been the permanent presence of his back four.

The head to head

The two clubs know each other very well from their days spent together in the German lower divisions, having faced each other ten times between the 2014/15 and 2018/19 seasons. The record from these encounters speaks in favour of the Heidenheimers, with the Unioners only managing three victories to their five. The last two encounters at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei ended in 1-1 draws, the latter of which stands out because of Rafal Gikiewicz' remarkable, last-gasp equaliser.

Union also have bad memories of playing them in the cup, going out to them in the first round, 2-1, in 2015. 

The reunions

For two players, the match will mark a reunion with former clubs and colleagues. Union's Tim Skarke spent his youth at Heidenheim, taking his first steps in professional football there. He made 70 appearances for them in the 2. Liga before moving to Darmstadt in 2019 after eleven years at the club. Meanwhile, from the other side, Lennard Maloney is looking forward to a meeting with his own past. Trained in their youth ranks, he later played one game in Liga 2 for Union before moving to Heidenheim in the summer after previous spells at Chemnitz and Dortmund II.

The personnel

Apart from Jordan Siebatcheu, who picked up a knock against Dortmund, Urs Fischer has the entire squad at his disposal. 

The coaches' view ahead of the game

Fischer cut a relaxed figure in his pre-match press conference. "We only had a little time to recover and prepare, but we are used to that by now", he said. "Heidenheim are currently in a very good place, even though they lost the last game. Frank Schmidt is doing a great job there and has formed an aggressive team that have good basic organisation and allow few chances. They concede few goals and have a clear philosophy, playing long balls in behind the back-line. In addition, they never stop running, which will be a challenge for us. We will definitely have to go to our limit if we want to move into the next round."

FCH coach Frank Schmidt says he sees tough opponents in Union. "This will be a very difficult task for us. It's not comparable to those games in the 2. Liga. Union are a team that know exactly what they have to do to be successful. They are coherent in their tactics, very good defensively and have outstanding counter-pressing. They can also punish mistakes quickly and effectively."

Service info: Sold-out home section

The home section at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei is sold out, with just under 350 Heidenheim fans expected in the away section. As usual, the stadium will open two hours before kick-off. Fans without tickets can watch the match live on Sky. As usual, Union will provide information on the match on the club's own ticker, as well as in English on Twitter.