Football is a weird game sometimes. You think you know how a match will play out—especially a friendly where everyone is just trying to get their fitness levels up—and then things get surprisingly intense. That is exactly what we saw when FC Union Berlin vs. RCD Espanyol kicked off at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
It wasn’t just a kickabout. Honestly, for a preseason game in early August 2025, it felt like there was something actually on the line. Maybe it was the fact that Alex Král was facing his former teammates at Espanyol after moving to Berlin, or maybe it was just that classic "Iron Union" grit meeting a stubborn Spanish side that refuses to be bullied.
The Match That Defined the Summer
Most people look at the final score—a 1-0 win for the Spaniards—and think it was a boring defensive slog. It wasn't. It was actually one of those tactical chess matches where both managers were trying to prove a point before their respective league seasons started.
Union Berlin, under Steffen Baumgart at the time, were coming off a grueling ten-day training camp. They looked heavy-legged but desperate to impress a home crowd that had filled the stadium two hours before the first whistle. You've gotta love the Union fans; they don't care if it’s a Champions League night or a Saturday afternoon friendly, they bring the noise.
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The deadlock broke in the 35th minute. Jofre Carreras, who had been a nuisance for the Berlin backline all afternoon, got clipped in the box. The referee didn't hesitate. Javi Puado, the Espanyol captain and basically the heart of the club, stepped up. He tucked the penalty away with the kind of cool composure you usually only see in May, not August.
A Tale of Two Halves
The second half was basically a siege. Union Berlin threw everything at it. There was this one moment in the 49th minute that still bugs the Berlin fans: András Schäfer rose for a header, collided with the keeper, and the ball spilled for Andrej Ilić to tap into an empty net. The ref blew for a foul on the keeper. Kinda soft? Maybe. But it set the tone for a frustrating afternoon for the Germans.
Union finished with more possession and looked way more aggressive, but they couldn't find the gap. Danilho Doekhi—who has basically become a scoring machine from center-back recently—had a massive chance with a header that went straight at the keeper. Sometimes the ball just doesn't want to go in.
Where Both Teams Stand in 2026
Fast forward to right now in January 2026, and those preseason lessons are still showing up in the stats. Union Berlin has been hovering around the 8th spot in the Bundesliga. They’ve had some massive wins, like that 4-goal counter-attacking masterclass against Frankfurt, but consistency is still the "big bad" they haven't quite conquered.
Ilyas Ansah has been the breakout story for the Köpenick club. He's got 5 goals already this season and plays with a pace that makes defenders look like they're running in sand. On the flip side, Andrej Ilić has been a bit of a mixed bag. He hasn't found the net as much as fans hoped, though he’s turned into a surprisingly good playmaker with nearly double-digit assists.
Espanyol, meanwhile, are holding their own in La Liga. They’re sitting comfortably in 5th place as of mid-January 2026. That’s huge for them. They’ve become this incredibly hard team to beat, largely thanks to the defensive stability we saw in that Union game. Marko Dmitrović has been solid in goal, and Pere Milla is leading their scoring charts with 6 goals.
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Tactically Speaking: What We Learned
When you look at the head-to-head metrics, the FC Union Berlin vs. RCD Espanyol clash highlighted a few things:
- Defensive Resilience: Espanyol faces a high number of expected goals against ($24.22$ xGA) but they actually concede much less. They are masters of the "bend but don't break" philosophy.
- Set Piece Dominance: Union Berlin remains one of the most dangerous teams in Europe from corners. When Doekhi or Querfeld go up, everyone holds their breath.
- The Král Factor: Alex Král’s transition from Espanyol to Union has been fascinating. He’s a workhorse, but there’s talk in the 2026 January transfer window that Union might move him on to refresh the midfield.
The Verdict on the Rivalry
Is this a "rivalry"? Not in the traditional sense. But it represents a specific type of European football—the hard-working, "working class" clubs that rely on culture and collective effort rather than billionaire spending.
Most people get wrong the idea that these friendlies don't matter. For a guy like Tom Rothe or Leopold Querfeld, these matches are where you earn your starting spot for the season opener. You could see the intensity in the tackles. It was physical. It was loud. It was exactly what football should be.
If these two meet again in a European competition—which isn't out of the question given their current league positions—expect more of the same. Union will push, Espanyol will soak up the pressure, and it’ll likely be decided by a single moment of brilliance or a mistake in the box.
If you're following either team this month, keep an eye on the transfer market. Union is looking for defensive reinforcements, specifically at right-back, while Espanyol seems focused on keeping their core together for a late-season push for a Champions League spot. Watch the injury reports closely, as both squads are starting to feel the fatigue of a long winter schedule.
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Check the upcoming fixtures for the DFB-Pokal and La Liga; both teams have crucial mid-week games that will define their 2026 campaigns.