In the southeast of Berlin, the Müggelsee, an idyllic biotope, borders the big city.

Urs Fischer likes to retreat there to enjoy the peace and quiet and to relax.

Although the lake is in the immediate vicinity of his place of work, the An der Alten Försterei stadium, he hasn't had much time for extensive visits in the past few weeks.

As well as?

Fischer is constantly on the move with his team from 1. FC Union Berlin.

Rotterdam, Stuttgart, Mannheim were the latest three venues, visited within just six days.

Hardly back home, the next challenge awaits Fischer and his players, it couldn't be bigger.

This Saturday, FC Bayern is coming to visit (3:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and Sky), after the trophy debacle in Mönchengladbach (0: 5), Munich are looking to make amends.

For Fischer, however, the disastrous result of the opponent does not matter.

"Whether they come with a special anger in their stomachs doesn't change the fact that we are allowed to have an extraordinary day and not their best day," says Unions trainer.

Bayern will demand everything from its players.

"We will have phases in the game where we have to suffer and endure," says Fischer.

There is no other way to deal with this opponent, whom the Union coach calls "the best team at the moment".

High point in autumn

Fischer's words in relation to the Munich team are no coincidence, pretty much every team claims the role of outsider when it comes to the football record champions. In the case of 1. FC Union, however, this now seems like an understatement, at least when measured against the numbers. Last season, the Berliners were the only ones against whom Bayern could not win twice. Both games ended 1-1. Union has been unbeaten in their own stadium in 21 games, this season goalkeeper Andreas Luthe only conceded two goals at home.

The impressive figures are just one aspect of Berlin’s development, which will peak this autumn.

For four years, Union has only been heading towards the top.

After the promotion, the sovereign class remained.

The supposedly difficult second year was not a turning point but a success story. Seventh place meant qualifying for the newly created Europa Conference League.

Union is building on the performances from the previous year in this season, despite the high load with games every three days.

Union welcomes FC Bayern in fifth and has to slowly get used to being part of the extended top group of the league.

All the more astonishing for a team that before the season started it wasn't clear what to think of them. After the successful performance, a change followed in the summer. Twelve players left, fourteen players came. Nothing new at 1. FC Union, not even in this large number. Personnel change has been a method since Oliver Ruhnert has been responsible for the squad and the coach is called Fischer.

There are currently five players left from the team that Fischer took over in 2018. For Fischer and Ruhnert, more important than the question of how many players will be replaced is who to part with. Mostly they are so-called role players, whose finish leaves no vacuum, as sporty as in the dressing room. The only thing the Berliners would have liked to avoid was Robert Andrich's move, who was drawn to Bayer Leverkusen. Otherwise all desired players could be kept.

"We now have a framework of experienced players who make it easy for the newcomers to acclimatize," says Max Kruse. These include captain Christopher Trimmel, central defender Marvin Friedrich and midfielder Grischa Prömel. Kruse needs to know what the Berlin welcoming culture is like. He had come to Union before last season and immediately found his way around the new environment. Since then, Kruse Unions has been the most important offensive player, the former national player impresses as a goalscorer and preparer. His use against Bayern is questionable. On Friday he was injured in training and had to be taken to a hospital.

It is precisely for such situations that Ruhnert has strengthened the squad both qualitatively and quantitatively. And for the first time, they didn't shy away from larger expenses. The former loaner Taiwo Awoniyi has been signed by Liverpool FC. A transfer fee of around 6.5 million euros is rumored. No player in the history of 1. FC Union Berlin has been more expensive. The transfer has already paid off, Awoniyi is Union's best shooter with seven goals.

During the week, the Nigerian was allowed to come off the bench in the 3-1 cup at Waldhof Mannheim;

Because you are represented in three competitions, most of the professionals in the squad get enough playing time outside of the everyday league.

That keeps the mood high and contributes to current success.

“We tried to regenerate as best as possible,” says Fischer.

To what extent that applies to himself, he did not say.

The Müggelsee will probably have to wait for him further.