Union Berlin vs Borussia M'gladbach Prediction 17.10.2025 | Bundesliga

Although between 2020 and 2023 Union Berlin consistently finished in the European spots and qualified for various UEFA competitions, they seem to have lost that winning formula in recent years, with survival now becoming their main priority.

The capital club, however, cannot be pleased with the way their 2025–26 campaign has begun, having found themselves on the losing side in half of their opening six top-flight outings, while their seven-point tally keeps them only three points above the relegation zone.

Steffen Baumgart’s men are currently failing to live up to their nickname “The Iron Ones,” as they’ve looked surprisingly fragile at the back in the early stages of the season, conceding 13 goals in six outings — a record that places them among the league’s three weakest defenses and leaves them with plenty to fix if they hope to turn their campaign around.

While Josip Juranovic, Robert Skov, and Livan Burcu are all ruled out with injuries, Hungarian midfielder Andras Schafer has shaken off some fitness issues from the international break and is likely to feature against Gladbach.

Borussia Monchengladbach, meanwhile, have been stuck in mediocrity for a while now, wrapping up three of the last four Bundesliga seasons in 10th place, and the start to this 2025-26 season hardly gives reason for optimism.

In truth, Die Fohlen find themselves in an uncomfortable position and have every reason to be concerned, as they remain the only team in Germany’s top flight yet to taste the sweetness of victory after six rounds, with a pale three-point haul leaving them second from bottom.

Admittedly, draws against Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg in their last three matches offer a faint glimmer of positivity, but just five goals scored make it clear that the attack urgently needs sharpening if Gladbach are to climb out of the drop zone.

On top of his team struggling, interim coach Eugen Polanski faces a shortage of players for Friday’s contest, with as many as seven names unavailable, including Giovanni Reyna and Tim Kleindienst.