Today’s Bundesliga clash features (and as an Union fan, I can’t believe I’m saying this) two Champion’s League teams. Union have had a poor start to the season, undoubtedly- though one could probably regard this as a simple regression to the mean after last season’s heroics. Fairly surprised Urs Fischer hasn’t been poached already, but I guess he has the UCL – so why move ?
Let’s jump in with a few facts. This is the 11th competitive meeting between these two teams. Of the previous 10 games, 9 have been won by the home team and all 10 were won by the team who scored first. I last attended this fixture in 2020, when Erling Haaland tore Union apart (an experience allowing me to emit many a low, wise chuckle when I heard people subsequently wonder whether he could ‘adapt’ to the Premier League).
Dortmund’s stadium is on every football fans ‘must do’ list – and not without reason, as the ‘yellow wall’ is genuinely impressive – though mainly because it contains N, where N is simply a large number of people. And the physical stadium is imposing – but mainly because it is high and steep enough to be actually vertigo-inducing and slightly vomitous.
If you want intense fans, Magdeburg, Union Berlin and Sheffield United are better. If you want an impressive stadium, Dumbarton, Tenerife and Braga are better. If you want a great stadium bar, then Stenhousmuir , Partizan Belgrade, North Ferriby and (above all) FC Boryspil* kick it right out of the park.
I’m a bit ‘don’t impress me much’ about the whole experience TBH.
Not tried a sausage yet though.
*file under ‘no longer with us’
PS- Dortmund fans, don’t get me wrong, I think you’re alright etc.
And here we go…U-N-V-E-U !!!
Come on Ferriby!