On Sunday, 20.08.2023, 1. FC Union Berlin’s women’s team will begin the new Regionalliga Nordost season with a historic clash against Hertha BSC; the first meeting of the two clubs with the most members in the capital. Kick off at the Amateurstadion (Stadion auf dem Wurfplatz) is at 15:00.
The opponents
For Hertha BSC, Sunday’s match is not only the first derby in the club’s history, but also the first women’s football match in over 30 years. Having had one for around a decade from 1978, it is now 35 years since the club were represented by a women’s team. Hertha previously have cooperated with 1. FC Lübars, 2. Liga champions in 2015, from 2009 to 2016 and with 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam from 2020 to 2022.
Last year, however, the decision was taken to field their own women’s team again, and to enable this the club from Charlottenburg took over the girls’ and women’s teams from Hertha 03 Zehlendorf from this summer enabling Hertha to compete immediately in the Regionalliga Nordost. Hertha 03 had been promoted to the third flight in 2022 and were able to celebrate staying in the league last season when they finished in 9th place, one spot above the relegation places. 13 players from the Zehlendorf squad haven been transferred to Hertha BSC, but with an average age of 19, they remain a very young team.
Head coach is 40-year-old Manuel Meister, who previously worked in the men’s team in Zehlendorf. As part of their summer preparations, Hertha played their first two games recently, losing 4-1 at home to Regionalliga side Karlsruher SC, but balancing that out with a resounding 13-0 victory over Energie Cottbus at their training camp in Brandenburg.
The head to head
Although Sunday’s clash is a premiere, many of the Union players are already familiar with their opponents, having played against Hertha 03 Zehlendorf last season. Union won both fixtures, 9-0 at home and 4-0 away.
Personnel
Head coach Ailien Poese will be without eight players on Sunday with Luca Scheel, Lisa Heiseler, Latoya Bach, Maria Cristina Lange, Ginger Schulz, Elisa Schindler, Pauline Wimmer and Naika Reissner all unable to be included in the squad.
The view ahead of the game
“We are happy to finally start in the league and are eagerly anticipating the first derby, which will certainly be explosive on the pitch,” said Union’s head coach Ailien Poese during the week. “We are well prepared for what awaits us and are going into the game full of anticipation and with full focus
Service info
Tickets will be available on the day for visiting fans, in the ticket office on Gutsmuthsweg. Admission is €5 or €2 for concessions.