German Bundesliga
2026-11-01 - Union Berlin vs Koln
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; Germany: Bundesliga
Stadion An der Alten Försterei – Berlin
Sunday, 01st November 2026 - kickoff 15:30 CET
Union Berlin
Union Berlin had started to find some consistency before their cup trip to Köln. They beat SV Elversberg 1-0, drew 0-0 with Borussia Dortmund and earned a 1-1 draw away to Augsburg. Those results gave them five points from three Bundesliga games, which is a decent run.
Tuesday's cup defeat was a different story. Union Berlin lost 5-0 away to Köln, conceding four times after the break. Mauro Lustrinelli will need a response from his players, especially at the back, after such a heavy defeat.
The home side will also miss Felix Uduokhai, who is suspended after his red card against Augsburg. Stanley Nsoki, Josip Juranović and Andrej Ilić are also unavailable, leaving Lustrinelli with defensive and attacking concerns.
Köln
Köln finally found their scoring touch in the DFB Cup game against Union Berlin. Saïd El Mala scored twice in the 5-0 win, while Linton Maina, Ísak Jóhannesson and Sebastian Sebulonsen also got on the scoresheet. It was a welcome change after two consecutive Bundesliga games without a goal.
Their Bundesliga form remains inconsistent, though. Köln have won just one of their last six Bundesliga matches, and their away record is a big problem. They have lost all three Bundesliga games on the road this season, scoring only twice.
Thijs Dallinga, Timo Hübers, Ellyes Skhiri and Rav van den Berg remain among the reported absentees. Ragnar Ache is also a doubt after a muscle injury. Despite the cup result, repeating that performance away from home will be a different challenge.
The Betting Verdict
The 5-0 cup result makes this rematch difficult to call. Köln will take confidence from that win, but their away form has been poor. Union Berlin had looked more solid in the Bundesliga before their defensive collapse in Köln.
I would go here with Both Teams to Score as a main bet. The cup tie showed that Köln can punish Union Berlin's defensive mistakes, while the hosts should respond with more urgency in their stadium.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Union Berlin 2-1 Köln
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take both teams to score: YES at odds of 1.53 with Bet365
