Union Berlin will be desperate to avoid an eighth successive defeat in all competitions when they host Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The visitors, on the other hand, head to the capital on a run of five consecutive victories, and claiming another one could move them top of the table.
Match preview
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Having punched above their weight significantly since gaining promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history in 2019, Union Berlin were bound to hit a sticky patch of form at some point under Urs Fischer, but the nature of their slump in recent weeks has provided plenty of cause for concern.
Die Eisernen have clearly found juggling Bundesliga and Champions League football a little tougher than expected, with two marginal defeats to Real Madrid and Braga in Europe's elite competition punctuated by a dismal run of five straight losses in Germany's top flight.
Union Berlin actually led 2-1 away to Borussia Dortmund in their last match, with new signings Robin Gosens and Leonardo Bonucci getting themselves on the scoresheet during an entertaining first half, but they could not prevent a resurgent Yellow Wall after the break to ultimately succumb to a 4-2 defeat.
As such, they slipped 11 points behind their fourth-placed opponents, suggesting that retaining their status in the Champions League could be a step beyond them even at this early stage of the campaign.
In truth, with only two points separating them from the relegation places, Fischer and his players will almost certainly be focusing on one match at a time, as they attempt to resurrect some form against one of the division's surprise packages so far this season.
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Indeed, having only survived relegation by beating Hamburger SV across a two-legged relegation playoff in June, very few people would have predicted Stuttgart to be second in the Bundesliga after seven matches this time around.
Former Hoffenheim boss Sebastian Hoeness has made a sensational impact since taking charge of Die Schwaben in early April, with three wins and four draws from his eight league games in charge towards the end of last season helping them move outside of the automatic relegation places at least.
Only RB Leipzig have prevented Stuttgart from winning this season, and only Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich have bettered their tally of 22 goals. 13 of those have been scored by Serhou Guirassy alone, with the Guinea forward already boasting two hat-tricks and three braces to his name.
His latest match ball was claimed from a 3-1 victory against Wolfsburg prior to the international break, which came at the worst possible moment for Hoeness and his players. The 41-year-old will be hoping that their momentum has not been halted by the season being paused, as they look to pile more misery on their opponents this weekend.
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Union Berlin will remain without Hungary midfielder Andras Schafer, who is struggling with foot and knee issues, while Robin Knoche is unlikely to feature due to an ankle injury.
From the starting XI which was defeated by Dortmund last time out, Croatia international Josip Juranovic should replace club captain Christopher Trimmel in the right wing-back slot, but otherwise Fischer could keep faith with the same group of players despite their terrible form of late.
Likewise, Stuttgart's only change may be to bring Silas back into the fold, providing that the DR Congo winger has shaken off his latest injury issues. The 25-year-old came off the bench during his side's victories against FC Koln and Wolfsburg, but he can undoubtedly provide another dimension to their attack from the outset.
Nikolas Nartey remains sidelined by a long-term knee injury, while Josha Vagnoman is unlikely to be rushed back having only recently recovered from a fracture, meaning that Pascal Stenzel should continue at right-back.
Union Berlin possible starting lineup:
Ronnow; Doekhi, Bonucci, Leite; Juranovic, Kral, Laïdouni, Haberer, Gosens; Becker, Behrens
Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Stenzel, Rouault, Anton, Ito; Karazor, Stiller; Silas, Millot, Fuhrich - Guirassy
We say: Union Berlin 2-2 Stuttgart
The international break came at the best possible moment for Union Berlin, whose collective confidence understandably appeared to be on the floor after suffering seven straight defeats in all competitions. Stuttgart, on the other hand, have mostly been an irrepressible force, led by their talismanic striker Guirassy.
Both teams' contrasting runs of form surely cannot continue for too much longer, particularly in the case of the hosts, who contain too much quality and spirit to keep losing. As such, we can envisage an entertaining score draw in the capital, which is a result that neither manager would likely be too disappointed with.
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Top tip
Brett Curtis
