Union Berlin without Trimmel and Khedira? Hardly imaginable

For a moment, it looked as if Steffen Baumgart would want to do without the captains at Union. Then Christopher Trimmel and Rani Khedira once again made themselves indispensable.

The Gauls in the Asterix comics are only afraid of the sky falling on their heads. What was hinted at in January at 1. FC Union Berlin would have been just as dire for many die-hard Union fans. The then-new coach, Steffen Baumgart, was searching for the right lineup. After two defeats at the start, he benched both team captains Christopher Trimmel and Rani Khedira in his first win against Mainz 05, only bringing them on in the closing stages. The "Berliner Kurier" newspaper promptly declared the duo "hardship cases."

Six months later, that's just a faint memory. Both players have extended their contracts. Before the start of preseason, a Union Berlin team without Trimmel and Khedira is back to what it was in recent years: almost unimaginable.

Regarding Trimmel, Baumgart only had to ask his predecessor, Bo Svensson. When Trimmel was benched in the first half of the season, Union lost 3-2 to VfB Stuttgart after leading 2-0. Without the experienced right-back, the defense completely collapsed under Stuttgart's pressure. After that, Svensson was on the ropes.

Steffen Baumgart had a similar experience. After the win against Mainz, Trimmel was left out. Four defeats followed without him. When things got really tough for Baumgart, after a total of seven points from his first nine games, he brought Trimmel back into the starting lineup and was rewarded. Union won 2-1 in Frankfurt. The 38-year-old set up the crucial equalizer with one of his dangerous corners.

Rani Khedira isn't quite there yet. He's only been playing for Union since 2021. However , when signing his most recent contract, he indicated that he intends to stay for a while. He feels his time at Union is far from over, Khedira said. Steffen Baumgart felt the same way after the 3-0 defeat against St. Pauli, after he benched the defensive midfielder. In the remaining 15 matches, Khedira missed only 33 minutes and, with his goal against SC Freiburg, made a key contribution to the club's early survival.

"When I arrived, I had the feeling he was in a bit of a slump," Baumgart said at the end of the season. But Khedira, an "absolute professional," worked his way out of that and then demonstrated his leadership skills for the team again. Union needs his organizational talent on the pitch and his work off the ball to keep the number of goals conceded. In terms of tackles, successful tackles, interceptions, and aerial duels won, Khedira is one of the best midfielders in the league.

Although two internationals, Andras Schäfer and Alex Kral, Lucas Tousart, a former €25 million signing, and Aljoscha Kemlein, a top German talent, joined the team after Khedira, no one was able to permanently displace him from the starting eleven. Things were too bad when he wasn't playing. However, this is probably also one of the reasons why no coach at Union has been able to sustainably improve their possession-based game in recent years. As strong as Khedira is in defense, his build-up play is equally as deficient. He usually leaves that entirely to the central defenders.

In terms of pass completion rate and number of successful passes, most regular midfielders in the Bundesliga are better than Rani Khedira. Baumgart faces a dilemma: If he leaves Khedira out, the team will lack leadership and defensive stability will suffer. If he wants to play him, Baumgart needs a setup in which other players can counter Khedira's limited possession play.

It's good for Baumgart that he doesn't have to worry so much about Trimmel. The fact that his set pieces remain among the best in the Bundesliga makes him a weapon whenever he plays. But even in the game, the Austrian's advanced footballing years are rarely noticeable. Trimmel has never been the fastest player, but his above-average defensive stats prove that doesn't stop him from getting into challenges. As long as Christopher Trimmel is fit, there's no compelling reason to do without him. That's assuming Baumgart doesn't want to press much more aggressively. Only then could his captain's lack of speed become a real problem. But if Union truly develops into an attacking team in the new season, then it would truly feel like the sky is falling on the Köpenickers' heads.

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