On Sunday, 09.06.2024, the women’s team of 1. FC Union Berlin will play the first leg of their promotion play-off for the 2. Bundesliga against SV Henstedt-Ulzburg. Kick off at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei is at 14:00.
The opponents
Schleswig-Holstein’s SV Henstedt-Ulzburg secured the Regionalliga Nord championship this season with 55 points from 22 games, eight points ahead of their closest rivals, Hannover 96. The club from the town of 30,000 inhabitants only suffered one defeat in league play, when they lost 3-1 to Holstein Kiel on the penultimate matchday. They were also surprisingly defeated in the final of the Schleswig-Holstein Cup by Oberliga club Kieler MTV on penalties.
SVHU played in the 2. Bundesliga from 2015 to 2018 and again in the 2021/22 season. Last season they finished 2nd in the Regionalliga Nord, but were beaten by a Hamburger SV, who prevailed against Viktoria Berlin in the subsequent promotion play-offs. So sunday finds a clash between last year’s runner-ups.
A few weeks before the end of the season, however, the northern Germans also received two pieces of bad news. In mid-April, attacker Indra Hahn, who was the club’s top scorer at the time with 18 goals in 16 games, tore her cruciate ligament and just two and a half weeks later, central defender Luisa Kern, who had previously started every game, also suffered a cruciate ligament tear. Both key players will therefore be missing in the play-offs.
Henstedt-Ulzburg played their last league match a week and a half ago at 4th placed ATS Buntentor, the same team Union played in a friendly during the winter break, winning 6-0. Henstedt-Ulzburg recorded a 2-0 win to round off the Regionalliga season. Jennifer Michel scored a brace and, with 20 goals for the season, overtook her team-mate Hahn in the internal goalscoring charts. Christian Jürss has been the team’s head coach since 2019.
The head to head
The two teams played together in the 2. Bundesliga in the 2016/17 season with Sunday’s guests winning both games 4-0 and 4-1. Thanks in part to these two victories, Henstedt-Ulzburg ended the season four points ahead of Union, who were relegated.
With Sarah Hornschuch, Lisa Görsdorf, Lisa Heiseler, Pauline Wimmer as well as Dina and Katja Orschmann, six players from the current Union squad were already on the pitch in at least one of the two clashes. Lisa Heiseler even scored the opening goal in the 4-1 defeat in the second leg.
The personnel
Head coach Ailien Poese will be without Maria Cristina Lange, Pauline Wimmer, Anna Weiß, Marie Becker and Nour Youssef on Sunday.
The coach’s views ahead of the game
“Henstedt-Ulzburg have dominated the Regionalliga Nord this season and have become champions early,” said Union’s head coach, Ailien Poese, ahead of Sunday’s crucial first leg. “Their quick play down the pitch and aggressive style of play characterize them as opponents. Defensively, we want to hold firm against them, prevent them from playing deep as much as possible and look to advance through possession. The decisive factors will be the exploitation of chances and the aggression that a play-off will bring from both sides.”
Service information
The stadium gates open at 12:00.
Almost 15,000 Union fans have already secured their place in the stadium for the play-off, with all seats sold out.
Standing tickets are however still available at a price of €5* both in the Union-Zeughaus stores and online. Children up to the age of 12 are admitted free of charge, but require a corresponding free ticket.
Tickets will be available on the gate on Sunday for last-minute visitors.
*Fees included