Bundesliga spectacle in Köpenick: Union Berlin hosts Borussia Dortmund
The 1. FC Union Berlin – Borussia Dortmund clash on January 24, 2026 at 18:30 at the An der Alten Försterei stadium in Berlin is one of those Bundesliga matchdays that fans have had circled on their calendars for weeks in advance. It is Matchday 19 of the 2025/2026 season, the moment when clubs return from the winter break, and every mistake or good run can turn the remainder of the championship upside down. Dortmund arrive in Köpenick as a title contender with a serious points cushion, while Union chase points that solidify them in the upper part of mid-table and keep them in the race for European spots. The atmosphere in the forest-surrounded “Alten Försterei” will almost certainly be near capacity, and tickets for this event are already being mentioned as among the most sought-after in Berlin in January. Anyone who wants to be in the stands should follow ticket sales in time and buy tickets as early as possible, because this Saturday evening slot traditionally sells out – and the button labeled “” will be the fastest way to secure your place at this football spectacle.
Current standings and what’s at stake in the 2025/2026 season
The start of the second half of the Bundesliga season has found Borussia Dortmund as the main chaser of leaders Bayern; they went into the winter break with 32 points, while Bayern, with a win in Heidenheim, increased their lead to nine points and reached 41 points at the top. In that context, the trip to Köpenick is a match Dortmund simply cannot afford to lose if they want to remain in a real title fight, because any new slip immediately opens space for the competition in the Champions League zone. Union Berlin are building their season patiently: after the autumn part they held a stable mid-table position, around tenth–eleventh place, at a safe distance from the relegation zone and with a realistic chance to attack the upper tier in spring. For the hosts, points against a big opponent are doubly important – they boost the confidence of Steffen Baumgart’s team on the sporting side, and they give fans extra motivation to sell out every remaining ticket and once again confirm that ticket sales for Union’s home matches have become a topic in their own right in the Bundesliga world.
Union Berlin under Steffen Baumgart: a working-man tempo and the return of identity
Since Steffen Baumgart arrived on the Union Berlin bench, the club has returned to its working-class roots: high intensity, aggressive pressing, running “to the last breath,” and a team that looks like an extension of the stands. At the beginning of 2026, all 28 professionals gathered at the first training session after the winter break, including players around whom transfer stories swirl, which is a clear message that in Köpenick no one wants to surrender in advance in the fight for the upper part of the table. Centre-backs Danilho Doekhi and Diogo Leite are still hot commodities on the market, but the sporting side of the club is aware that their departure mid-season would seriously weaken a defence that in autumn knew how to shut down even the strongest Bundesliga attacks. In attack, new energy has been brought by signings such as Andrej Ilić, while fans were particularly delighted by the revival of Oliver Burke, a winger who, thanks to incredible speed, has even been proclaimed the fastest player in Europe’s “top five” leagues. All of this creates the feeling that Union under Baumgart once again has a clear story, and fans gladly reward that story – which is also evident in how quickly tickets for this event disappear as soon as they appear on sale.
Dortmund under Niko Kovač: efficient, results-driven, but under the magnifying glass of criticism
Borussia Dortmund entered the 2025/2026 season with Niko Kovač on the bench and heavy pressure to finally see a season without dramatic drops in form after a long run of years. In terms of results, the half-season has been successful: a 2:0 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach on the club’s anniversary, a run of matches without defeat, and second place in the table confirm the team knows how to win even when it does not shine. Still, part of the fan base and German media reproach Kovač because the play often looks heavy, with less flair than in some earlier eras, so every slightly weaker performance is immediately dissected in detail. In attack, the focus is on Serhou Guirassy, who has continued his impressive scoring streak this season as well, while the creative burden in midfield is carried by Julian Brandt and Felix Nmecha, alongside the increasingly important role of young Jobe Bellingham. In defence, they rely on the experience of Niklas Süle and Ramy Bensebaini, while fast wing-backs – for example Yan Couto – enable the switch from defence to attack in just a few touches. All of this makes Dortmund a clear favourite on paper, but precisely for that reason a defeat or poor result in Berlin would have a much bigger echo, which further raises the temperature of this clash and the interest in buying tickets.
Stars and key duels on the pitch
Tactically, the match in Köpenick offers a fascinating clash of styles and several duels that could decide the outcome. Union’s centre-back line with Doekhi and Leite will have to control Guirassy carefully, a striker who already early in the season strung together goals in the Bundesliga and European competitions and against Union has already shown how dangerous he is when given space. On the flanks, battles will be fought between Union’s hard-working wingers and Dortmund’s quick players such as Karim Adeyemi or Maximilian Beier, whose ability to arrive from the second line has already decided some matches. In the middle of the pitch, Union rely on a hard-working and solid axis with experienced Rani Khedira and Janik Haberer, who will try to slow the tempo and break up Dortmund’s combination play. Oliver Burke adds a special dimension: the Scottish wide forward marked the autumn with a hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt and an officially recorded speed over 36 km/h, so every one of his sprints into open space gets the stands on their feet. It’s exactly these individual duels that fans want to see live, so interest in tickets keeps rising, and tickets for this event move from “I’m planning to go” to “I have to be there” as soon as new sales allocations are announced.
An der Alten Försterei Stadium – a cult place of German football
An der Alten Försterei Stadium is not just an ordinary sports venue, but a symbol of Union’s identity and an example of how a football club can live through its fans. Located at An der Wuhlheide 263, in the green surroundings of Köpenick, the stadium in its current configuration holds about 22,000 spectators, with the vast majority of places standing, which makes the atmosphere compact and loud. The renovation is a special story – in major works during the 2000s and 2010s, thousands of volunteers took part, fans who literally used their own hands to help pour concrete for the stands and build the new structure. Today, Alten Försterei is mentioned in Germany as one of the most special stadiums, known also for the Christmas “Weihnachtssingen,” but also for the fact that every home Bundesliga match practically guarantees a packed house. Because of the relatively small capacity compared to demand, ticket sales for Union matches often turn into a little sprint – first come, first served: whoever arrives first buys a ticket and secures a place in the stands. In the case of the clash with Dortmund, this will be even more pronounced, so fans are advised to press the button labeled “” as soon as possible and thus secure tickets in time, and while planning the trip they can also take a look at accommodation near the venue.
Berlin-Köpenick: the city context of a big derby in a small neighborhood
Köpenick is a southeastern district of Berlin that blends city life and nature: in the immediate vicinity of the stadium, forest paths along Wuhlheide intertwine with the banks of the Spree River and numerous canals that lead toward Lake Müggelsee. On match day, the streets around Alten Försterei fill with Union’s red jerseys and Dortmund’s black-and-yellow symbols, and away fans traditionally take over their cafés hours before kickoff. The city is used to football crowds, but what’s special about Köpenick is that everything unfolds in a relatively intimate, almost neighborhood-like ambience, very different from the big boulevards in central Berlin. A visitor coming from other parts of Germany or abroad can combine the match with a weekend in the city: the day before the game, tour the historic center and landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, and on match day surrender to the fan rhythm of the wooded southeast. For such a plan, it’s worth checking in advance accommodation offers in the host city, and then, through ticket sales and buying tickets via the “” button, round off the perfect Bundesliga weekend.
Head-to-head history and recent momentum
The history of Bundesliga meetings between Union and Dortmund shows that the famous Borussia are most often the more successful side, but in recent years Union have managed to surprise the favoured opponent a few times, especially at their own stadium. Still, the memory of the first clash this season in Dortmund is fresh: on August 31, 2025, Borussia at Signal Iduna Park won convincingly 3:0, with two goals from Serhou Guirassy and one strike from Felix Nmecha, recording their first win of the new season. Such a defeat served Union as a lesson in how little space they are allowed to leave Dortmund, especially in the zone between their lines, while it strengthened Kovač’s team in the belief that they can rightly aim for the very top of the table. Ahead of the return match in Köpenick, Union will have extra motivation: in front of full stands they want to show that Alten Försterei can neutralize even the strongest attacks, and a possible triumph against the second-placed team would be a signal to the whole league. Precisely for that reason, home fans but also many neutral football lovers see this clash as a “must see” event and try to get tickets as early as possible, so they don’t end up outside the stadium on a night when a new page of club history is being written.
Tactical options: Dortmund’s high press against Union’s compact blockade
The expected lineups suggest Dortmund in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with three centre-backs who allow aggressive pushing of the wing-backs forward and a large number of players in the final third. In such a system, Guirassy is a classic reference point in the box, while behind him technically gifted players such as Brandt and Nmecha operate, searching for the half-spaces and combining with the flanks. Union will likely respond with five in the back line, where alongside Doekhi and Leite the wing defenders also play an important role, tasked with closing the corridors toward Couto, Ryerson, or other Dortmund wide players. The key will be whether the home midfield line can “break” the rhythm often enough with fouls and doubling up on opponents, not allowing the visitors to enter a sequence of quick passes. In attack, Union will look for chances from transitions and set pieces, where Christopher Trimmel’s long throws and well-delivered corners are their recognizable trademark. Fans who watch such details live – the spacing of the lines, reactions to the press, and coaches’ adjustments mid-match – know that a TV broadcast can hardly convey all the complexity; that’s why many decide to buy tickets and secure their admission so they can see the tactical duel from their own angle, from the stand they choose themselves.
The atmosphere in the stands and why tickets for this event are especially in demand
The reputation of Alten Försterei as one of the loudest and most authentic stadiums in Germany did not arise by chance – the majority of standing places, the closeness to the pitch, and a homogeneous red-and-white mass create a wall of sound that presses the opponent and carries the home team. Union fans are known for choreographies, songs that start long before the first referee’s whistle and do not stop even when the score is not ideal; the sense of community is very strong, as confirmed by stories about the volunteer renovation of the stadium, but also about the traditional Christmas singing when thousands gather just to sing together. Against a big opponent like Borussia Dortmund, that charge intensifies even more: every won ball becomes a reason for ovations, and every controversial situation sparks extra fire in the stands. That experience attracts neutral fans too, who may not support either Union or Dortmund at all, but want to feel what a Bundesliga night in Köpenick looks like. Because of the limited capacity and high demand, ticket sales are always very fast, so the recommendation is that, if you are planning a trip to Berlin specifically for this match, click the “” button in time, buy tickets, and secure your place before tickets disappear from the offer.
Practical arrival information: public transport, getting there, and day planning
An der Alten Försterei Stadium is excellently connected by public transport, which is especially important because parking space in the area is limited, and streets quickly clog up before and after the match. The most common route takes the S-Bahn line S3 to Köpenick station, from where it’s about a 10–15 minute walk to the stadium along the railway embankment through a neighborhood full of small houses and trees, which already creates a special mood on the way before stepping into the stands. An alternative is tram lines 27, 60, and 67, which stop at the Alte Försterei station practically right in front of the entrance, making arrival easy even for those navigating Berlin for the first time. It is important to note that, unlike some other German clubs, Union tickets do not automatically serve as local public transport tickets, so it is worth buying a day or single ticket for the S-Bahn and tram in advance. If you plan to come from other countries, for example from Croatia, it is practical to combine a flight to Berlin Brandenburg Airport with a weekend in the city, and it is good already when booking the flight to also look at accommodation for fans on match day, and then, via the “” button, complete the ticket purchase and get a clear time structure for the entire trip.
Union’s home ahead of a major expansion – the last chance for the “old” Alten Försterei
An interesting context for this match is also the fact that for years a major expansion has been planned for An der Alten Försterei Stadium, which would increase capacity to almost 40,000 seats, with new upper-tier stands and additional facilities. According to current plans, the main works on the stadium itself should begin after the modernization of the accompanying facilities and training center is completed, which means the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 seasons are likely the last in which fans can experience Alten Försterei in this current, more compact and “rawer” version. Many see that as an additional reason to come right now, while the stadium still has the character of lots of standing space and concrete terraces built by fans, before the upgrade inevitably makes it more modern and perhaps a little less intimate. In that sense, the clash with Borussia Dortmund perfectly connects past and future: on one side a traditional, almost cult stadium grown out of the community, on the other a top Bundesliga team and a fight for the top of the table. For fans who want to be part of that transitional period, the message is clear – ticket sales for matches like this will only grow, so each new ticket allocation is a chance to click “,” buy tickets, and secure your place in Union’s story before the stadium transforms.
Planning your stay: combining football, the city, and accommodation
For those who want to turn the match into a small football city break, Berlin offers almost endless possibilities: from the museums on Museumsinsel, through nightlife in districts like Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain, to walks along the Spree and visits to Cold War historic sites. The ideal strategy for fans coming from afar is to first secure tickets for this event – to be sure they will actually get into the stadium – and then, depending on arrival and departure times, choose the neighborhood and type of accommodation. Some will prefer hotels and apartments closer to the center, with a fast S-Bahn connection to Köpenick, while others will look for quieter accommodation in the eastern part of the city, closer to the stadium itself and the wooded paths of Wuhlheide. In any case, it is useful to follow accommodation near the venue to align prices and locations with planned arrivals and departures. Once the combination “match tickets + accommodation + transport” is locked in, all that remains is to surrender to football: cheering, singing, and, of course, the hope that this very evening at Alten Försterei will bring a match that will be talked about long after the floodlights go out.
Sources:
- Bundesliga.com – the table and context of the 2025./2026. season
- Reuters / dpa – reports on the autumn matchdays and the points situation of Bayern and Dortmund ahead of the winter break
- ESPN, Bundesliga.com, Transfermarkt – statistics and reports from the match Borussia Dortmund – Union Berlin 3:0 (31.08.2025.) and squad data
- Wikipedia, FootballTripper, official 1. FC Union Berlin websites – history, capacity, and specifics of An der Alten Försterei Stadium
- The Scottish Sun and other sports portals – analysis of Oliver Burke’s form and speed and an overall overview of Union Berlin’s season