Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin: Bundesliga Friday betting preview & free tip

Free football tips, bets and analysis for the Bundesliga.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 7.30pm Friday

Best bet

Hertha Berlin
1pt 11-8 BoyleSports

Match preview

New Hertha Berlin boss Bruno Labbadia started his tenure with an emphatic 3-0 win over Hoffenheim last weekend and can continue to get the fans onside with victory in the Berlin derby.

Minnows Union Berlin prevailed 1-0 when these sides met earlier in the season in the first ever Berlin derby in the Bundesliga era and, until this week, had been above their capital counterparts in the standings since August.

Urs Fischer's men have defied expectations to keep clear of the drop zone for much of the campaign and will be able to give 12-goal star striker Sebastian Andersson a starting role this time around after he was on the bench in the defeat to Bayern Munich last time out.

Union have claimed the scalps of top-half outfits such as Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and Freiburg this season but all of those wins came at home.

Six of Union's nine league victories this campaign have come at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei and on the road they have struggled.

Fischer's side have lost four of their previous six away encounters and collected only 11 points on the road this season.

They are weakened at the back for the visit to the Olympiastadion with defender Keven Schlotterbeck suspended and carry minimal attacking threat beyond Andersson, who is getting back to full fitness, with Marius Bulter (seven) the only other player to have scored more than five goals this term.

Hertha could finally be finding some stability this season after appointing five managers since June last year.

Victory in Labbadia's first match in charge means they have gone three matches unbeaten in the Bundesliga and there were plenty of positives to take out of their stirring attacking display against Hoffenheim.

They scored three goals in a barnstorming 15-minute spell which was rounded off by a wonder goal from Matheus Cunha, who has been directly involved in four goals in his five appearances for the club.

Coupled with a potential return to the starting 11 for January addition Krzysztof Piatek, Hertha's attack can wreak havoc against a Union Berlin defence who have conceded in five of their previous six matches.

One constant for Hertha this season has been goals - their home league assignments have featured an average of 3.23 goals per game while both teams have scored in ten of Union Berlin's 13 away encounters this term.

That enhances appeal about a bet on both teams to score and over 2.5 goals but the best strategy could simply be a Hertha win given the recent form of these two sides and Union could be set for their first ever defeat at the Olympiastadion.

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