On Friday, two teams seeking their first Bundesliga victory of the season will face off as Union Berlin hosts Schalke 04 at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei. Union Berlin, known as Die Eisernen, will aim to avoid another heavy defeat, while Schalke, referred to as Die Knappen, hopes to build on their previous draw. Union had a challenging 2025-26 season and have not started this campaign strongly under new head coach Mauro Lustrinelli. They opened their Bundesliga schedule on August 29 with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite taking the lead, they needed a last-minute equalizer to secure a point, which was a frustrating outcome. Lustrinelli was likely looking for a more solid showing against Bayer Leverkusen last weekend. Unfortunately, his team suffered a heavy 4-0 loss, conceding two goals in each half. This defeat has left Union in 15th place in the standings, with only one point so far. While it's early in the season to panic about relegation, fans are understandably concerned about the potential for a relegation battle. A win on Friday would help ease those worries, but Union's recent home form has been underwhelming, with only two victories in their last ten competitive matches at home, alongside five draws and three losses. On the other hand, Schalke, managed by Miron Muslic, were promoted to the Bundesliga after clinching the second-division title last season. Although they have yet to secure a win this season, their outlook seems more optimistic compared to Union. Schalke's campaign began with a 3-0 loss to Augsburg, but their performance was somewhat overshadowed by the red card received by midfielder Ron Schallenberg around the 60-minute mark, while the score was still only 1-0.