Real Madrid vs Union Berlin prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-09-19 16:45.
Real Madrid begin their pursuit of a record-extending 15th European Cup/UEFA Champions League (UCL) title by entertaining tournament debutants Union Berlin having started their La Liga campaign with five straight victories. After coming from behind to beat Real Sociedad 2-1 on Sunday, it’s a quick turnaround for last year’s UCL semi-finalists, who have lost just one of their last 13 games against German opposition in Europe’s premier competition (W8, D4).
Unbeaten in UCL action here since April 2022 (W6, D1), you have to go back to March 2015 for the last time Carlo Ancelotti’s side lost at the Bernabéu to German opponents, when Schalke overturned them 4-3. While those omens are good for Los Blancos, intriguingly, the last time they opened a UCL campaign at home, they lost 3-2 against Shakhtar Donetsk in 2020/21!
That might offer Union some hope as they start their UCL journey with one of the toughest tests European football can provide, having played in the UEFA Europa Conference League two seasons ago and the UEFA Europa League last term. As if making their debut against the 14-time European champions isn’t difficult enough, the Germans do so having lost their last two Bundesliga games, with both fixtures producing exactly three goals.
Manager Urs Fischer described this as “the match of the year”, but immediately following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Wolfsburg said: “We are not looking forward to Madrid.” After scoring just twice across their five European away games last term (W2, D1, L2), Die Eisernen may therefore struggle to emulate Shakhtar, Sheriff Tiraspol, CSKA Moscow and Schalke, all of whom upset big odds to triumph at the Bernabéu in the last ten years.
Key battle: After scoring the winner against Sociedad, Real forward Joselu has netted four goals in as many appearances at the Bernabéu as a home player. Trying to stop him making it five in five is vastly experienced Union centre-back Leonardo Bonucci, who helped Juventus draw 1-1 here in 2015.
Hot stat: Carlo Ancelotti’s men have conceded first inside 15 minutes in three of their five games so far this term.