Gosens returns to Union Berlin as an opponent with Schalke

Both sides still searching for a first win

On Friday, September 11, at 20:30 German time, Union Berlin host Schalke 04 at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in Berlin for matchday three of the Bundesliga. After two rounds, both clubs have just one point each and neither has won a match this season.

Union Berlin sit 15th in the table after a 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt and a heavy 0-4 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, leaving them with the league's worst defensive record so far — seven goals conceded. Schalke 04, in 14th place, have yet to score a goal this season, following a 0-3 loss to Augsburg with a scoreless draw against Bayern Munich, in which goalkeeper Loris Karius made 15 saves and currently leads the league in that category.

Gosens back where it didn't quite work out

At the centre of the match is 32-year-old Robin Gosens, who returns on loan with Schalke to the club he once represented. Gosens joined Union Berlin in the summer of 2023 as the club's record signing and made his Bundesliga debut there, also featuring in the Champions League, but the season turned into a relegation battle. According to GrenzEcho, Gosens has said he remains proud of his time in Berlin, yet neither he nor his family truly settled there, and after a difficult 2023/24 season he departed abruptly for Fiorentina. Schalke has been his boyhood club since childhood, and he returned there on loan this summer.

Squad news and financial concerns

According to FussballTransfers, Schalke will be without striker Moussa Sylla, who recently became a father to a daughter and is staying with his family; the club congratulated him on social media. Meanwhile, captain Kenan Karaman returns to the squad after a lengthy absence with a hip injury, having made his comeback as a substitute in the draw against Bayern. This differs from NETVASCO, which reported Karaman's participation as still in doubt — the situation may have changed close to kick-off.

Adding further pressure on Schalke is a financial warning: as reported by SpaceMoney, the club risks a three-point deduction in the 2027/28 season if it fails to meet the German Football League's (DFL) equity requirements by the end of the year.