At the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid will host Champions League debutant Union Berlin.
Key Takeaways
- This will be Union Berlin's first Champions League appearance
- So far, Real Madrid has won all five matches it has played
- The two teams will play each other for the very first time.
The Los Blancos team looks to maintain their perfect start to the season against Union Berlin facing them for the first time. Union Berlin will aim to impress the other teams with their performance.
Real Madrid Form
In the first five matches of the season, Los Blancos have won all of them. As the only team in La Liga to win all five matches, they are showing their dominant side. Carlo Ancelotti intends to continue their La Liga success into the Champions League campaign. Last season, they suffered a semifinal loss to Manchester City, so they will look forward to winning the title again this year.
In this tie, the Los Blancos came on the winning streak of five matches defeating the likes of Athletic Club 2-0, a convincing victory over Celta Vigo 0-1 and a 2-1 victory over Getafe. In the last match against Real Sociedad they made a comeback to win the tie 2-1 after conceding the early goal. They also created four big chances, including making 17 shots in the match. Ancelotti will be pleased with their fighting spirit.
Union Berlin Form
After finishing fourth in the Bundesliga last season, Urs Fischer's team will play in the Champions League for the first time. They will be put to the test after drawing Real Madrid, Napoli and Braga. It remains to be seen if they can cause an upset in the group to qualify for the next round.
Having won the DFB Pokal in emphatic fashion against FCA Walldorf 0-4 to qualify for the next round, Union Berlin won the Bundesliga opener with a 4-1 victory over FC Mainz. A 1-4 scoreline against SV Darmstadt continued their winning streak. However, they have suffered back to back defeats against RB Leipzig and Wolfsburg in their last two matches. Los Blancos have been conceding goals lately, so Fischer will hope his team can cause a setback.
Head-to-Head
Both teams have never met before, with Union Berlin qualifying for the first time in their history. They will be facing off for the first time.
Team News
With Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois out with long-term injuries, Carlo Ancelotti will be without some of his key players. The rest of the players can be selected, except Vinicius Jr and Arda Guler who are out due to thigh and meniscus injuries.
Moreover, Union Berlin will be missing four players for their first champions league match as Andras Schafer and Laurenz Dehl are out with foot and Achilles tendon injuries .Furthermore, Urs Fischer will be without Rani Khedira who is out with a calf injury, as well as Kevin Volland who was sent off in the previous match.
Key Players
Having scored five goals in his first few matches at Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham has adjusted to life as a Los Blancos player very smoothly. He has been one of the best performers for Los Blancos this season. After scoring the match winner against Real Sociedad last week, Joselu will be in great spirits in this match.
With four goals in four matches, Kevin Behrens has started the season off with Union Berlin on fire. Urs Fischer will count on him to provide the goals this year. In addition to netting three goals from left back this season, summer signing Robin Gosens has also made a strong start to his Union Berlin career.
Final Thoughts
As both teams begin their Champions League campaigns, Union Berlin will face a challenging match against the European giants who have a dominant record in the competition. This will be Union Berlin's first time taking on the European giants. With their inexperience in this competition, Los Blancos may have an upper hand. Union Berlin hopes to surprise their opponents and let them know they're here to fight. This will be an entertaining match for the fans.