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Next Sunday, 03.03.2024, the women’s team of 1. FC Union Berlin will finally kick off their 2024 campaign with a derby against Hertha BSC in the quarterfinals of the Polytan Cup. Kick off in Dörpfeldstraße is at 14:00. The match is already sold out but will be broadcast live on AFTV.
The opponents
It was only last summer that Hertha BSC took over the Hertha 03 Zehlendorf team, giving them a women’s football team for the first time in 35 years. So far, the Charlottenburg club can be relatively happy with how things have gone, especially looking at their 4th place position in the Regionalliga Nordost. While Hertha 03 only just managed to avoid relegation last season, Hertha BSC are currently the third-best team in Berlin with 21 points from eleven games, behind Union and Viktoria and, surprisingly, ahead of last year’s third-placed team Türkiyemspor.
Their season did not get off to the best of starts with a 6-1 loss at home to Union, but Hertha’s record improved, and they recorded a number of victories including the stunning 2-1 win over Viktoria Berlin on matchday 7. This makes Hertha the only team apart from Union to have inflicted a defeat on last year’s champions so far this season, as they are also the only team in the Regionalliga Nordost apart from Türkiyemspor to have scored against Union.
In the Polytan Cup, the Charlottenburg side cruised into the quarterfinals with a 20-0 win over Bezirksliga side Blau Weiss Spandau in the first round and a 3-0 victory over the recently promoted Regionalliga side Berolina Mitte in the round of 16.
Head coach Manuel Meister’s young team have continued the positive trend of recent over the long winter break. In addition to victories over FC St. Pauli (3-1), Berolina Mitte (5-0), Borussia Pankow (9-0) and SFC Stern (5-0), the team drew 1-1 with second-division club 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam in last weekend’s final friendly.
The head to head
Union won the first women’s derby between Union and Hertha in August 2023 when the two teams played in front of 1,500 spectators at the Olympiapark on the first day of the Regionalliga season. The home also started off with plenty to cheer, as Hertha took the lead through a free kick after just three minutes. However, Union turned things quickly around and were 2-1 up after just eleven minutes. They would add four more to that tally without reply by the final whistle.
The return match in the Regionalliga will take place on 28.04.2024 in the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
The personnel
Union’s head coach Ailien Poese will be without six players on Sunday, Maria Cristina Lange, Pauline Wimmer, Anna Weiß, Zita Rurack, Nour Youssef and Pia Metzker.
The coach’s view ahead of the game
“We’re looking forward to finally getting back to competitive matches and starting with a cup derby on home turf,” said head coach Ailien Poese during midweek.
Service information
For organizational reasons, admission is limited to 1,500 spectators, and possible with a valid ticket only. All the tickets – available to Union members only – were snapped up within hours of being made available. The gates at the Fritz-Lesch-Sportanlage will open on Sunday at 13:00. Due to the expected high number of visitors, we ask that you arrive in good time.
The match will be broadcast live on AFTV.
