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NederlandAfter three straight losses without scoring a goal, Union Berlin will seek to steady the ship when they host fellow European contenders Mainz 05 on Saturday.
As the teams have been on different trajectories over the past few weeks, they are now locked together on points in the Bundesliga table before going head-to-head at An der Altern Forsterei.
Match preview
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Missing out on the chance to move into a European qualification spot, Union Berlin instead found themselves dropping down to ninth place in the standings after they lost again last week.
Their 1-0 reverse to struggling Arminia was the club's seventh straight game in Bielefeld without victory, and defeat at the SchucoArena saw the Berliners fail to pick up a point from three successive league matches for just the second time since promotion to the Bundesliga in 2019.
Indeed, since the start of the month, Urs Fischer's side have suffered as many defeats as in their previous 15 league games combined, and concern must be mounting inside the camp.
As they prepare to welcome in-form Mainz to the capital on Saturday, Union's most recent home match ended in a 3-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund, but they have previously won six of their fixtures at An der Altern Forsterei and lost just twice there this term.
Furthermore, in five previous home matches against this weekend's opponents, the Eisernen have lost only once - and not since a defeat in 2. Liga some 20 years ago.
They also came out on top in October's reverse fixture, in which a Taiwo Awoniyi brace saw Union come from a goal down to win 2-1, so at least precedent is in their favour even if form is not.
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Mainz, meanwhile, moved onto 34 points after 23 matchdays last weekend - their best Bundesliga tally at this stage of a season since 2016.
In fact, Bo Svensson's men have now accumulated twice as many points as they had at this point last year and are hot on the heels of the tightly-bunched European contenders - sitting eighth, just three points adrift of surprise package Freiburg in the final Europa League spot.
Following a dramatic comeback to beat top four hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen - with two goals in the final 10 minutes sealing an unexpected victory at the MEWA Arena - Mainz are unbeaten in three Bundesliga games.
Die Nullfunfer have only once enjoyed a longer undefeated run this season, and they can now match that streak of four games by taking at least a point home from Berlin.
They may travel east in expectation too, as since the second half of the season got under way they have scored in each of their six league fixtures - meanwhile increasing their goal rate to two per game on home soil.
However, Mainz find the net at only half that rate when on the road and are winless in six Bundesliga away matches - losing five in the process. In all, the Rheinhessen have been beaten in eight of their 11 away games this term; last losing as many at this stage of a campaign back in 2005.
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Team News
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Union coach Urs Fischer may make at least a couple of changes following his team's worrying series of defeats, as centre-back Robin Knoche returns from suspension - with Dominique Heintz most likely to make way, as he is carrying a knock.
Both Christopher Trimmel and Niko Giesselmann are in contention to start for the hosts too, while Keita Endo came off the bench last week to push his claims for a place in the first XI.
Despite a recent dry spell, Taiwo Awoniyi is set to feature up front for the hosts. The Nigeria international played 12 Bundesliga games for Mainz during the 2019-20 campaign but scored just once, and in the reverse fixture bagged his first and only top-flight brace to date.
Meanwhile, Mainz only have Jeremiah St Juste as a confirmed injury absentee, while reserve goalkeeper Finn Dahmen is still troubled by an ankle problem.
Bo Svensson otherwise has a full complement of players from which to choose, and has the luxury of a selection headache in his forward line, as both Jean-Paul Boetius and Marcus Ingvartsen scored as substitutes in the win over Leverkusen.
Scorer of the opening goal last week, full-back Aaron Martin's strike was the club's first from a direct free kick since 2017, and the former Spain Under-21 international will again start on the left flank of a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Union Berlin possible starting lineup:
Luthe; Jaeckel, Knoche, Baumgartl; Trimmel, Promel, Khedira, Gisselmann; Becker, Haraguchi; Awoniyi
Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Zentner; Bell, Hack, Niakhate; Widmer, Stach, Kohr, Martin; Lee; Onisiwo, Burkardt
We say: Union Berlin 1-1 Mainz 05
Union have to stop the rot some time, and despite Mainz's recent upturn in fortunes, their visitors tend not to travel too well.
Never a high-scoring side at the best of times, goals have entirely dried up for the Eisernen, but they can surely end their month-long drought on Saturday.
