German Bundesliga
2026-10-17 - Union Berlin vs Borussia Dortmund
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: Bundesliga
Stadion An der Alten Försterei – Berlin
Saturday, 17th October 2026 - kickoff 15:30 CET
Union Berlin
Union Berlin finally have something to feel good about it. Their 1-0 win over SV Elversberg last weekend was their first Bundesliga victory and clean sheet under coach Mauro Lustrinelli. It also ended a rough run of results, but one win will not solve all their problems.
A big problem remains scoring. Union Berlin have managed just five goals in five Bundesliga games, and they have taken only four points from three home matches. They need to be more dangerous up front if they want to trouble Borussia Dortmund.
Beyond the lack of goals, Union Berlin’s defense has been terrible so far; they conceded a whopping 17 goals in their first five Bundesliga matches.
Lustrinelli will likely stick with the center-back pairing of Felix Uduokhai and Zeno van den Bosch after their solid display against SV Elversberg. Andrej Ilić is out while he builds match fitness, and Andrik Markgraf is also unavailable. Stanley Nsoki, Josip Juranović and Livan Burcu are all doubts.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in the Bundesliga and have conceded just four goals in five games. They sit second with 13 points, and a win in Berlin would take them to 16 and give them a chance to move to the top, at least until SC Freiburg play on Sunday.
However, Niko Kovac’s side are coming off a 1-0 Champions League defeat to Bodo-Glimt on Wednesday. They created chances but failed to score, and now face another away trip before heading to Azerbaijan next week. That busy schedule could take its toll.
Borussia Dortmund are likely to control this game, especially against a Union Berlin side that has struggled to score. Emre Can and Konstantinos Karetsas are out with knee injuries, while Justin Lerma is also unavailable. Karim Adeyemi is a doubt with a slight muscle problem.
The Betting Verdict
Borussia Dortmund are the obvious pick, but the midweek defeat and packed schedule give me some pause. Union Berlin should be more confident after their first win, but I doubt they can match the strong Borussia Dortmund side.
I'd back Borussia Dortmund to win this game. They have been much more reliable over the first five unbeaten Bundesliga games, and Union Berlin will need a big improvement up front to hurt them.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Union Berlin 0-2 Borussia Dortmund
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take Borussia Dortmund to win at odds of 1.57 at BetFred
