Debut with hope: tricky debut for Union's Bjelica
The match planners could hardly have made the debut for new Union coach Nenad Bjelica much more difficult. First the tricky trip to the Champions League match at Portuguese top team SC Braga on Wednesday (21:00/DAZN), then the mostly thankless Bundesliga visit to FC Bayern Munich.
But Bjelica, ahead of his debut on the Berlin bench, naturally says what coaches say: "We want to play these games successfully and possibly win. And that's how every game will be. That's why I think it was the right time to step in now."
Less than two weeks after the emotional farewell to former successful coach Urs Fischer, the gnarled 52-year-old is finally back on the right track at Köpenick. "We certainly don't have much time to make big changes until Wednesday and Saturday," said the nine-time Croatian international, "but I'll get an idea of the team. What the team has, what the team can do. In games like this, where there's already a lot in it," said Bjelica.
Good mood at Union training
The mood at Union's final training session before the trip to Portugal was positive, there was even laughter. After almost 100 days of suffering, the capital city club's hopes of spending the winter in international business are glowing again. With a win in Braga, Union can keep their chances of continuing in the Europa League in the spring alive.
It would be the team's first full success since the 4-1 win at Darmstadt 98 on August 26 on the second Bundesliga matchday, when the Berliners finished top of the table. Three months later, the Berliners are longing for an end to their 15-game winless streak. The point gained in the 1-1 draw against FC Augsburg last Saturday restored a little confidence to the players, even if the hoped-for victory failed to materialize once again. "We have to take that with us now," said Kevin Volland, who secured the point with his first goal for Union shortly before the end.
Bjelica wants to build up the team mentally
Despite the short time until the game in the north of Portugal, Bjelica, a former Bundesliga player for 1. FC Kaiserslautern, wants above all to rebuild the players mentally: "We want to try to build up the team psychologically and the self-confidence that has gone." Bjelica, who was still under contract with Trabzonspor in the Turkish first division until October, says he is not afraid of starting the new campaign with two defeats.
Before leaving for Braga, the coach had to do without defender Danilo Doekhi and attacker Sheraldo Becker in training. The absence of Becker would be particularly painful, as the attacker scored both goals in the first leg to give Berlin a 2-0 lead. In the end, Union lost 3-2 thanks to a goal in stoppage time, their sixth defeat in a row at the time. Bjelica is hoping for a different ending on Wednesday and promises maximum effort for the goal: the "team showed the potential for this last season."
The expected line-ups:
SC Braga - 1. FC Union Berlin (Wednesday, 21:00/DAZN)
SC Braga: Matheus - Gomez, José Fonte, Niakaté, Borja - Al Musrati, Zalazar - Alvaro Djalo, Ricardo Horta, Bruma - Banza
Union Berlin: Rönnow - Jaeckel, Knoche, Diogo Leite - Juranovic, Laidouni, Khedira, Haberer, Gosens - Fofana, Behrens
Referee: Clement Turpin (France)
In the upcoming Bundesliga match, 1st FC Union Berlin under new coach Nenad Bjelica will aim to challenge FC Bayern Munich, following their difficult debut against SC Braga in the Champions League. Nenad Bjelica, ahead of his debut on the Berlin bench, emphasized his team's desire to win every game, including their visit to Bayern.
Despite the tight schedule, Bjelica intends to boost the team's morale and self-confidence before the Champions League match against Braga, acknowledging their 15-game winless streak. The coach plans to provide maximum effort to secure a different result compared to their previous encounter with Braga, where a goal in stoppage time proved to be their undoing.
Source: www.dpa.com
