Union Berlin rose to the top of the Bundesliga and managed to stay in the top four for some time. But their recent slump in form has pushed them to the fifth position, as they are winless in their last three matches. In the three matches, they have conceded 11 goals while scoring just three. Union would not want to blow a good lead after a strong start to the season. Therefore, we look at some stats to understand why the recent slump in their form is a wake-up call for them.
Season so far
The above visual shows Union Berlin’s percentile rank compared to other teams in the Bundesliga. They are highly ranked for crosses per game and play a lot of crosses. They are ranked below average for all other attacking metrics. Even in defence, they are ranked below average for all the parameters. An area in which they have done considerably well is their entry into the final third, where they are ranked in the top 52.6 percentile.
Attack
The above visual shows Union Berlin’s positional attacks in the match against Freiburg, which they lost 4-1. They launched only 13 positional attacks in that match, with just one of them leading to shots. They fell below their average of 27.67 positional attacks and have made 76 positional attacks in the last three matches, with 15 of them leading to shots.
The above visual shows the shots attempted by Union Berlin against Freiburg. They played only four shots, with just one of them on target. In the last three matches, their average shots per game have come down from 10.93 to nine. Moreover, they have scored just three goals in these matches and conceded 11.
The above visual shows Union Berlin’s striker Sherlado Becker’s xG map from the last three matches. With seven goals this season, Becker is Union’s leading scorer. But in the last three matches, he has found the back of the net only once. A more worrying stat is that he has only taken four shots in the last three matches.
Defence
The above visual shows the aerial duels made by Union Berlin against SC Freiburg. They made just 33 aerial duels when their average aerial duels per game for the season is 52.73. They did well in the match against Augsburg, in which they contested 84 aerial duels, because of which their average is in the 40s.
Union Berlin have contested a smaller number of defensive duels as well. The average number of defensive duels per game has dropped from 62.93 to 44 in the last three games. These defensive errors have cost them dearly, as they have just one point from the last three matches.
The above visual shows the defensive territory of Union Berlin defender Robin Knoche. He’s been solid as usual for them, but he still hasn’t kept a clean sheet. He has a good defensive record in these games, with 73.3% success. But his team has conceded 11 goals in the three matches.
Betting Analysis
Union Berlin’s recent dip in form is likely to be reflected in the betting markets as well. Looking at the 1×2 market, their odds are expected to go up while overlines are expected to thrive looking at the number of goals they have conceded.
Union Berlin started the season in the best way possible and was safe and secure in the top four of the table. But the three winless games have affected their position, form, and confidence as they were shattered by the opposition. Thankfully for them, the international break came at the right time. The players and the coach will be looking to shift the momentum in their favour in 2023.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
