Match Information
Match Overview
Union Berlin host 1. FC Köln in a Bundesliga Regular Season fixture, Round 8, with kickoff set for November 1, 2026 at 14:30 UTC. At this stage of the season the table is beginning to take shape, and the two sides meet from clearly different positions: Union Berlin are 17th, while 1. FC Köln sit 11th.
The league positions are the central storyline. Union Berlin's place in the bottom three gives the match real weight for the hosts, who are managed by M. Lustrinelli. Their league results since September 18 have been tight: a 1-0 home win over SV Elversberg on October 10, a 0-0 home draw with Borussia Dortmund on October 17, and a 1-1 draw at FC Augsburg on October 24. That is five points from three league games, but the sequence follows a 7-0 defeat at Bayern München on September 18. 1. FC Köln, under René Wagner, have a more mixed recent record. They beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 on October 11, lost 1-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt on October 16, and drew 0-0 at home with FC Schalke 04 on October 24.
The head-to-head record adds context. Of the last ten meetings, Union Berlin have won six, Köln one, and three have ended level. The most recent, on May 2, 2026, finished 2-2 at Union Berlin, and the December 20, 2025 meeting went to Union Berlin 1-0 in Köln. Both sides have also shown defensive resilience lately, with each drawing without conceding more than once in their last three league matches.
Neither club has reported any unavailable players, so both managers appear to have full squads to choose from. That should allow each to stay close to the shape used in their last league outings, with both having lined up in a 4-2-3-1. The match offers Union Berlin a chance to build on recent defensive solidity, while Köln look to turn a goalless draw into a stronger run.
Predicted Lineups
Union Berlin
F. Rønnow; J. Haberer, Z. Van Den Bosch, F. Uduokhai, T. Rothe; A. Schäfer, R. Khedira; Jeong Woo-Yeong, M. Aebischer, Livan Burcu; T. Skarke
1. FC Köln
M. Schwäbe; S. Sebulonsen, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, L. Lochoshvili, B. Sosa; Í. Bergmann Jóhannesson, T. Krauß; L. Maina, M. Moore, S. El Mala; M. Bülter
Team Form Analysis
Union Berlin
League Position: 17Union Berlin Form Analysis
Union Berlin's recent form shows a team that has become harder to beat after a heavy setback. The 7-0 loss at Bayern München on September 18 is the low point of the sequence, but in their three Bundesliga matches since, they have taken five points, beating SV Elversberg 1-0 on October 10 and drawing 0-0 with Borussia Dortmund on October 17 and 1-1 at FC Augsburg on October 24.
Defensively, the numbers are encouraging. Across those three league games they conceded just once, and they kept two clean sheets in a row at home against Elversberg and Dortmund. Holding Dortmund scoreless is a notable result given the quality of that opponent.
Attacking output is the clear limitation. Union scored only two goals in those three league fixtures, and none against Dortmund. They also won a Friendlies Clubs match 1-0 at HNK Rijeka on September 26, though that carries less weight than the league results.
With the team sitting 17th, the challenge is converting tight, low-scoring performances into wins. Union are unbeaten in their last four competitive league and friendly matches, and the pattern points to a side built on organization rather than goals.
1. FC Köln
League Position: 111. FC Köln Form Analysis
1. FC Köln's recent league form has been uneven. They opened this stretch with a 2-1 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on October 11, then lost 1-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt on October 16, and most recently drew 0-0 at home with FC Schalke 04 on October 24. That is four points from three league matches.
Their attack has cooled. After scoring twice against Mönchengladbach, Köln failed to score in either of the next two league games, leaving them without a goal in 180 minutes of Bundesliga football. Defensively they have been steadier, conceding only once across those three matches and keeping a clean sheet against Schalke.
Earlier results add some context. Köln lost 2-1 at Hamburger SV on September 19, and they drew 2-2 at FC Viktoria Köln in a Friendlies Clubs match on October 3. Their league position of 11th reflects a team in the middle of the table, neither under severe pressure nor clearly pushing for the top places. Finding a way to restore goals on the road will be the main task, as their last two league matches have produced no scoring.
Head-to-Head
Union Berlin
1. FC Köln
Recent Meetings
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-02 | Union Berlin | 2 - 2 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2025-12-20 | 1. FC Köln | 0 - 1 | Union Berlin |
| 2024-05-11 | 1. FC Köln | 3 - 2 | Union Berlin |
| 2023-12-20 | Union Berlin | 2 - 0 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2023-03-04 | Union Berlin | 0 - 0 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2022-09-11 | 1. FC Köln | 0 - 1 | Union Berlin |
| 2022-04-01 | Union Berlin | 1 - 0 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2021-11-07 | 1. FC Köln | 2 - 2 | Union Berlin |
| 2021-03-13 | Union Berlin | 2 - 1 | 1. FC Köln |
| 2020-11-22 | 1. FC Köln | 1 - 2 | Union Berlin |
Memorable Matches
The most recent meeting, on May 2, 2026, ended 2-2 at Union Berlin and showed how closely matched these sides can be. It followed Union's 1-0 win at Köln on December 20, 2025, a narrow result that continued their strong run in this fixture.
Köln's 3-2 victory at home on May 11, 2024 stands out as the only win for the Rhineland side in the last ten meetings. A five-goal game in a record otherwise dominated by low-scoring contests, it was a rare success against Union.
Earlier, the November 7, 2021 meeting finished 2-2 in Köln, and Union also won 2-1 at home on March 13, 2021 and 2-1 away on November 22, 2020. Overall, Union Berlin have six wins and Köln one, with three draws in the last ten, and many of the games have been decided by a single goal.
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Injury Concerns
Union Berlin
1. FC Köln
