SIEBATCHEU UP AND RUNNING! Talk about impact! Jordan Siebatcheu breaks the deadlock on his Bundesliga debut, the US striker getting in front of his man at the near post to glance Becker's left-wing cross beyond Christensen. 13% HALF CHANCE Hertha are stretched again as Haraguchi collects in the box. The nearest Hertha defender slips, but Sunjic gets back to block. Trimmel loops the follow-up - a difficult header - into the arms of Christensen.
Suriname attacker Sheraldo Becker has three years of top-flight experience with the side behind him, while Rani Khedira started 32 Bundesliga matches in his first season at the club while looking he'd been in the Union midfield for much longer than that. HERTHA REBOOTED Hertha have made changes on and off the pitch after flirting with relegation last term. Long-standing fan Kay Bernstein is the new president, while former Mainz boss Sandro Schwarz left Dynamo Moscow to return to German football. Wilfried Kanga will be looking to score more than his former Young Boys teammate Siebatcheu, while skilful Nigerian attacker Chidera Ejuke could help him do so. Former Schalke right-back Jonjoe Kenny has returned to the Bundesliga again after leaving Everton, while Croatian centre-back Filip Uremovic has moved from Rubin Kazan of Russia. His compatriot Ivan Sunjic has also arrived from Birmingham City to beef up the midfield.
Awoniyi's replacement, proving himself to be a real handful, has just had an effort from inside the Hertha area blocked by Kempf. UNION IN CHARGE Becker races up the right and asks the question of the Hertha defence with a teasing cross. Siebatcheu is on the hunt, but Uremovic does his job once more. DENIED! Union come again as Trimmel drills a cross into the six-yard box. Christensen gets fingertips to it, and Uremovic sticks out a boot to prevent Ryerson turning the ball home from close range. The hosts have made a flying start! CHANCE! Union attack from the kick-off as Haberer cuts a ball back to Khedira on the edge of the area. His shot is blocked by Uremovic, though, before Christensen is able to gather ahead of Siebatcheu.
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutesThrough high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. 43km/h2. Dodi Lukébakio 32. 52km/h3. Suat Serdar 32. 28km/h FLYING SAVE! Ryerson cuts in off the left and drives one towards the top corner, but Christensen dives full stretch to bat it clear. ONE SIDED The xGoals value of a club is calculated from the sum of all goal probabilities (goals and shots on goal) of that team. Becker goes within a whisker of getting his head to a Haraguchi cross. Moments later, Ryerson drags wide form range. It's all Union... SHOT BLOCKED Union fans will be happy with what they've seen from Siebatcheu.
1. FC Union Berlin - Hertha Berlin | Season 2022/2023 | BundesligaLive News Line-ups Stats 0:24 WATCH: BECKER: "PEFOK'S A GOOD STRIKER" 0:26 WATCH: LUKEBAKIO: "A DERBY DEFEAT HURTS A LOT" UNION WIN THE DERBY It was never really in any doubt after those goals from Siebatcheu, Becker and Knoche within the hour.
Alexander Schwolow (Schalke), Niklas Stark (Werder Bremen) and Santiago Ascacibar (Cremonese) are among the notable departures. ALL CHANGE AT UNION There are also new faces in defence, where former Vitesse captain Danilho Doekhi and Portuguese centre-back Diogo Leite add competition for places. Paul Seguin (Greuther Fürth) and Morten Thorsby (Sampdoria) will bolster the centre of midfield, while Janik Haberer (three league goals for Freiburg last season), Jamie Leweling (five for Fürth) and Milos Pantovic (four for Bochum) all bring a goal threat.
SCHWARZ ROLLS THE DICE Jovetic, who scored a team-high six Bundesliga goals last season, is on. He's joined by new signings Ejuke and Kanga. THE GOAL STANDS! Robin Knoche steers a Trimmel corner home with his head. There's a VAR check for a possible offside against Khedira, but he doesn't touch it - Union lead 3-0! Goal probability Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. 3% Situation No goal Review Offside? Decision Goal BECKER STRIKES! Union get their second goal! Becker exchanges passes with Haberer and glides past Uremovic, before firing past Christensen from 10 yards. Lovely, lovely goal.
Plattenhardt and Marc-Oliver Kempf missed from the spot as Braunschweig went through 6-5 on penalties. Hertha, then, will be determined to bounce back, and what better way to do it than in a derby? © IMAGO/Revierfoto NO CHANGE ON THE UNION BENCH Union have a shrewd head coach in Urs Fischer, a man who first led the Berliners to promotion in 2019 and followed that up with 11th, seventh and fifth-placed finishes in the Bundesliga. Despite the usual changing cast over the summer, the 56-year-old still has some knowledgeable campaigners to help the rest settle in. Club captain Christopher Trimmel and his wand of a right foot have been a fixture since 2014, while 30-year-old defender Robin Knoche has only missed one league outing in his two hugely successful years at the club.
They have ended 10th, 14th and 16th in their last three Bundesliga campaigns, and their total of 33 points from 34 matches in 2021/22 was their worst top-flight haul for 10 years. The latter two seasons were the first time another Berlin club had finished above them in the Bundesliga. They also had the second-worst defence in the division last term, conceding 71 goals. The Old Lady only managed 13 goals themselves in their 17 away matches in the league. The first competitive game of this season was a rollercoaster ride for Hertha as they led 2-0 but were pegged back to 2-2 at the end of normal time in their cup tie at second-division Eintracht Braunschweig. Hertha then trailed, led again, and were ultimately held to a 4-4 draw at the end of extra-time.
36% CHANCE! It's that same combination again as Union go close to doubling their lead. Siebatcheu meets Becker's cross, but Christensen's equal to it. Kick-off! ADVANTAGE UNION! The xGoals value of a club is calculated from the sum of all goal probabilities (goals and shots on goal) of that team. Union are heading for a fourth straight derby win and, you have to say, they fully deserve their lead. Half-time SUPER SAVE! Christensen keeps Hertha in the game, the Bundesliga debutant getting a toe to Ryerson's low strike from 12 yards. That all came about after bustling play on the other side from Becker, who brushed off Kempf with ease. SAFE HANDS Rönnow's finally made to work as Hertha's relegation play-off hero Plattenhardt bends a free-kick over the wall and down the throat of Union's new No.
Watch Online Hertha Berlin vs Union Berlin 28-01-2023 Football