Union Berlin vs Schalke 04 - prediction, team news, lineups

By Anthony Nolan | 09 Sep 2026 23:59, Last updated: 10 Sep 2026 04:53

Two teams looking for their first Bundesliga win of the season are set to lock horns on Friday, when Union Berlin welcome Schalke 04 to Stadion An der Alten Forsterei.

Die Eisernen will be hoping to avoid another thrashing this week, while Die Knappen are aiming to build on their draw last time out.

Union endured a turbulent 2025-26 campaign, and they have not made the most stable of starts under new manager Mauro Lustrinelli's this time around.

Die Eisernen kicked off their top-flight schedule with a 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt on August 29, a result made all the more frustrating by the fact the capital club opened the scoring, yet still required a 92nd-minute equaliser to salvage a point.

Keen to see progress, Lustrinelli would have been looking for a more composed performance against Bayer Leverkusen last Saturday, but his side conceded twice in both halves as they succumbed to a 4-0 battering on the road.

That defeat has left Union 15th in the table with just a single point to their name, and while it is too early in the season to seriously fear relegation, fans will be wary of being pulled into a fight for survival.

Victory on Friday would go a long way towards assuaging those concerns, but after seeing the hosts win just two of their competitive home outings in 2026 - drawing five and losing three - supporters would be forgiven for harbouring doubts.

Meanwhile, Miron Muslic's Schalke were promoted to the Bundesliga after winning the second-division title last season, and while they are also yet to claim a victory this term, the visitors will be feeling more positive than Union.

Die Knappen suffered a 3-0 defeat against Augsburg in their opener, but any worries about the performance were partially mitigated by the fact that midfielder Ron Schallenberg was sent off around the hour mark, when the team were just 1-0 down.

Muslic's side did show some spirit to bounce back in their most recent outing, however, holding champions Bayern Munich to a 0-0 draw, courtesy of five saves from former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius.

Despite conceding three goals. the 33-year-old shot-stopper also made 10 saves against Augsburg, and he will be vital to Schalke's chances of avoiding the drop.

For now, Die Knappen remain 14th and on the lookout for their first win of the season - a victory that could act as a foothold as the visitors seek to re-establish themselves in the top flight.

Union will be lighter in attack than ideal on Friday, given that strikers Andrej Ilic (illness) and Oliver Burke (Achilles) - as well as left winger Kastriot Imeri (thigh) - are ruled out.

In their absence, Marin Ljubicic and Emmanuel Latte Lath look set to lead the line in a partnership, platformed by a midfield featuring Rani Khedira, Michel Aebischer, Livan Burcu and Aljoscha Kemlein.

At the opposite end of the pitch, left-back Andrik Markgraf is working his way back from a cruciate ligament injury, while centre-backs Marvin Friedrich and Stanley N'Soki are both unavailable.

Hoping for a more robust defensive performance from his team this week, Lustrinelli could opt for Zeno Van Den Bosch and Felix Uduokhai at the heart of his backline, with Josip Juranovic and Tom Rothe operating as full-backs.

As for Schalke, they are missing defensive midfielder Ron Schallenberg, who is suspended after his ban for being sent off against Augsburg was upgraded from one match to two.

With that in mind, expect to see Satoshi Tanaka join Soufian El-Faouzi in the centre of the park, flanked by wing-backs Junior Dina Ebimbe and Robin Gosens.

Ronnow; Juranovic, Van den Bosch, Uduokhai, Rothe; Aebischer, Khedira, Kemlein, Burcu; M Ljubicic, Latte Lath

Karius; Kurucay, Katic, Becker; Junior, Tanaka, El-Faouzi, Gosens; D Ljubicic, Sylla

Union may be playing at home, but having conceded seven goals across their first two matches of the Bundesliga season, they are unlikely to keep Friday's opponents at bay.

Schalke commendably held Bayern to a goalless draw last time out, and if they can maintain that defensive solidity, then the visitors may walk away with all three points.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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