Union Berlin created history as they qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history. A return to the Bundesliga in the 2019–20 season was followed by a top-half finish in the last three seasons. The team played in the UEFA Conference League in 2022–23 and took a big step by making it to the Champions League in the current season.
Union have attracted a few quality players, and these players have settled well into the team. They started the current season with two massive wins against Mainz and Darmstadt. Since these two wins, Union Berlin have failed to register any points in the league table. Their first outing in the Champions League also ended in a defeat against the European giants, Real Madrid. Now sitting in the bottom half of the table, here is a look at what has gone wrong with Union Berlin’s form in 2023–24.
Recent scoring struggles
Union Berlin started the season with a 4-1 win over Mainz. This was followed by another 4-1 win over Darmstadt in the next round. 23 attempts were made combined in these two matches, and 12 found the target. The conversion rate was high, as eight shots found the back of the net. Union players found space in front of the goal, especially around the six-yard box.
All this scoring form just vanished in the last four matches. Union Berlin have only scored one goal in these matches and ended up losing. The conversion rate of the team has been really poor in these matches. 41 attempts have been made, and 11 were on target. They had more shots on target in the first two games. A lot of chances have been skied from around the six-yard box, and this is what they mastered in the first two games. Against Real Madrid and RB Leipzig, Union players attempted three shots each in the match and only managed to hit the target once in the Leipzig game. These struggles in front of the goal are the biggest reason why Union Berlin has been poor lately.
One area where the team has struggled a bit is moving the ball. Averaging 351.5 passes per match, Union have an accuracy rate of 80.7%. The pass average and accuracy rate are low for a team that finished in the top four last season. The above viz shows that most of the progressive passes into the box have been attempted from the right side. Despite landing most of these passes in front of the goal, the conversion rate has been a bit lower, and so has the accuracy of these passes.
Leaking goals
Union Berlin have faced more shots than they have taken and failed to keep a clean sheet in any match. The team allows the opposition to take 14.67 shots per match, and 33% of the time the opposition has hit the target. The above viz shows that a few shots have been allowed from around the six-yard box, and these have been dangerous chances for the opposition.
Overall, Union Berlin’s struggle to keep a clean sheet and recent struggles to find the back of the net are worrying signs for the manager. They will look to improve these performances in the upcoming games and get back to their best.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine