Berlin Sides Set Sights on Bundesliga Opener and Cup Finals Path

Hertha BSC opens its Bundesliga schedule on 15 August against a mid-table side at the Olympiastadion while 1. FC Union Berlin travels to face last season’s surprise package on the same weekend.

The July timing matters because both clubs finish their final preseason blocks in the next three weeks and must lock in starting elevens before the transfer window closes on 1 September. Berlin teams have reached the DFB-Pokal final only twice since 2010, so any strong August form directly influences squad investment decisions by club boards.

Training bases and match-day routes

Hertha players have shifted daily sessions from the main pitch at the Olympiastadion in Charlottenburg to the smaller facility in the Westend sports complex to reduce wear on the grass ahead of the televised opener. Union staff meanwhile run drills at the An der Alten Försterei ground in Köpenick, where the club’s under-19 academy shares the pitch with the first team on weekday mornings. Supporters from Prenzlauer Berg typically take the S-Bahn U5 line to the stadium on match days, while fans from Kreuzberg use the Ringbahn to reach either venue within 25 minutes.

Numbers that shape expectations

Hertha averaged 48,700 spectators across 17 home Bundesliga fixtures last season at an average ticket price of 27 euros; Union drew 21,300 per game at 19 euros. Both clubs project a 12 percent rise in season-ticket renewals this summer after releasing 4,200 new seats for away supporters in the DFB-Pokal quarter-final allocation. Preseason friendlies scheduled for 20 July at the Olympiastadion carry a top price of 15 euros, with proceeds earmarked for the Berliner Sportverein youth program that feeds both senior squads.

Tickets for the 15 August Hertha fixture go on sale through the club website on 22 July at 9 a.m., with a limit of four per buyer. Union members can collect their away allocation at the Köpenick ticket office from 25 July. Early form in those opening fixtures will decide whether either side books extra training camps before the winter break or reallocates scouting resources toward domestic cup ties.