Anticipation fills the ranks of the Union as they journey towards Gütersloh, expressing their enthusiasm over the allure of the trophy.
In the upcoming DFB Cup, 1. FC Union Berlin will travel to East Westphalia for their first-round match against FC Gütersloh. The lower-tier team has been making waves in the Regionalliga West, having won the title for the second consecutive year and remaining undefeated this season.
FC Gütersloh, under the guidance of head coach Jens Greif, has seen a remarkable rise, with three promotions in four seasons and a stint as the reigning vice-champion of the Regionalliga West. Marvin Ducksch, the club's top scorer with 25 goals this season, led the team in scoring last season as well.
Recent trends suggest that while Union Berlin has managed to defeat lower-tier Regionalliga teams in official cup competitions, their pre-season friendlies against such teams have exposed attacking deficiencies. In August 2025, Union Berlin suffered four consecutive test match losses, including a 0-1 defeat to Schweinfurt 05, a club that plays in the Regionalliga tier or equivalent level below Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.
However, in the 2025 DFB-Pokal, Union Berlin advanced past their first-round opponents, likely a Regionalliga side, as is typical for this early cup stage. The exact opponent and their tier were not detailed in the provided results.
The Regionalliga, where FC Gütersloh competes, presents a potential challenge for Union Berlin, who currently play in the Bundesliga, a higher tier. Despite being a fourth-tier team, FC Gütersloh is not considered an easy opponent for Union Berlin, as they have scored the most goals in the Regionalliga West this season and have not lost a single game.
Interestingly, Union Berlin's city rivals, Hertha BSC, draw a tougher match against second-tier team Preußen Münster in the DFB Cup first round. Union Berlin's first-round match against FC Gütersloh will be broadcast live on German television.
This will not be the first time these two teams meet, as they last faced each other in the 2017-2018 season, with Union Berlin emerging victorious 3-1. The DFB Cup first round draw places these two teams together once more, promising an exciting match for both fans and neutrals alike.
In light of Union Berlin's past struggles against lower-tier teams in pre-season friendlies, the first-round DFB Cup match against FC Gütersloh, a prominent club in European-leagues like the Regionalliga, could pose a challenging test for the Bundesliga team. The Regionalliga West's top scorer, Marvin Ducksch, will lead FC Gütersloh, having put away 25 goals this season.
