Preview: FC Koln vs Union Berlin - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to end 2025 in strong fashion, FC Koln will welcome Union Berlin to RheinEnergieStadion for their final Bundesliga game of the year.

The Billy Goats are looking for a first win in six matches, while Die Eisernen are hoping to secure back-to-back top-flight victories for the first time this season.

Match preview

Lukas Kwasniok's Koln were promoted after winning the 2.Bundesliga title in 2024-25, and while they made a commendable start to this term, they are in the midst of a worrying descent.

The Billy Goats were downed 2-0 by Bayer Leverkusen last weekend, extending the club's winless run to five games, a streak only matched by bottom-of-the-table Mainz 05.

For now, Kwasniok's side sit 10th in the top flight, where their tally of 16 points sees them five above the relegation zone ahead of this clash.

Another defeat on Saturday would be Koln's fourth from six matches, and could see them go into 2026 as low as 14th in the Bundesliga in a worst-case scenario, only saved from 15th thanks to their 10-superior goal-difference over Augsburg.

With that in mind, it would be fair to say that this weekend will be crucial, but given that the hosts have only won once at RheinEnergieStadion since August, fans may head to the ground feeling nervous.

Meanwhile, Steffen Baumgart's Union lost just one of their six outings between mid-October's 3-1 win against Borussia Monchengladbach and late November's 1-0 triumph against St. Pauli, but they come into this clash vulnerable having been beaten in three of their last four.

That being said, Die Eisernen bounced back from a three-game run of defeats by overcoming RB Leipzig 3-1 most recently, securing all three points on December 12 thanks to goals from Oliver Burke, Ilyas Ansah and Tim Skarke.

As a result, Baumgart's men are now eighth in the table, though they remain a solid seven points behind sixth-placed Stuttgart.

Keen to round off the year by reducing that gap, the visitors will need to defy their poor travelling record, considering that it resembles their overall form with three losses from their last four competitive games.

However, should Union continue that pattern and suffer another loss, then they - much like their opponents - could return from the winter break as low as 13th.

FC Koln Bundesliga form:

Union Berlin Bundesliga form:

Union Berlin form (all competitions):

Team News

Koln are looking light at the back this weekend without centre-halves Dominique Heintz, Joel Schmied, Timo Hubers and Luca Kilian, though the former two are expected back next month, while the latter pair are set to miss the remainder of the season due to major knee injuries.

In their absence, Sebastian Sebulonsen, Eric Martel and Rav van den Berg are likely to continue in a back three, flanked by Jan Thielmann and Jakub Kaminski at wing-back.

Further forward, Said El Mala a doubt due to cramp, and while he could start, it would not be a surprise to see Kristoffer Lund make the XI on the left.

As for Union, midfielder Janik Haberer is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Leipzig, though Rani Khedira and Aljoscha Kemlein are on hand to start in the centre of the park.

Elsewhere, left wing-back Robert Skov is working his way back from a calf injury, and Derrick Kohn should start in his stead.

Nineteen-year-old left-back Andrik Markgraf is also sidelined as he builds fitness following a broken leg, but he is getting closer to a return in the next few weeks having been out of action since August.

FC Koln possible starting lineup:

Schwabe; Sebulonsen, Martel, Van den Berg; Thielmann, Huseinbasic, Krauss, Kaminski; Waldschmidt, Bulter, El Mala

Union Berlin possible starting lineup:

Ronnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite; Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Kohn; Jeong, Burke, Ansah

We say: FC Koln 1-2 Union Berlin

Koln have been surprisingly lacklustre on their own turf in 2025-26, and given their poor form overall, the promoted side may find Union too much to handle.

Additionally, the visitors will have a renewed sense of confidence after their win over Leipzig last time out, and they could channel that feeling into another positive result on Saturday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.