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On Sunday the women’s team of 1. FC Union Berlin will host Bundesliga club RasenBallsport Leipzig in the 2nd round of the DFB Pokal. Kick off at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei is at 16:00.
The lie of the land
As a Bundesliga team, Leipzig did not have to play in the first round of the cup and had their first competitive match in the league last Sunday evening when they defeated 1. FC Köln 2-1 at their home training centre on Cottaweg. Vanessa Fudalla and Julia Landenberger scored both goals for the hosts. This was followed on Wednesday, when they hosted the Vietnamese national team, winning 2-0.
Union, meanwhile, have already played three competitive matches this season. In the first round of the cup, they won a penalty shoot-out in a thriller in Gütersloh. This was followed by two draws in the league against Hamburger SV and 1. FC Nürnberg.
The opponents
RasenBallsport Leipzig founded a women’s football department in the 2016/17 season and were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2023 as 2. Liga champions. That same season, they achieved their best cup result to date by reaching the semi-finals.
Initially in their first Bundesliga season, Leipzig still had major problems getting used to the new division. They were second-last in the table with just one win from eleven games at Christmas, but in the second half of the season, they adapted to the level of the Bundesliga and were able to make another prominent addition in the form of Mimmi Larsson in the winter. The Swede was directly involved in six goals and helped Leipzig to a strong eighth placed finish.
Despite this, RasenBallsport did not extend their contract with head coach Saban Uzun. The 37-year-old had been on the sidelines since 2022 and had led the team to the Bundesliga. The new head coach is Jonas Stephan, who previously worked at Eintracht Braunschweig. This is the 32-year-old football coach’s first stint in women’s football.
Little has changed in the Leipzig squad this summer. Three departures, including Korina Janez, who moved to Union, are offset by five new additions. With Lina von Schrader, Marleen Schimmer and Giovanna Hoffmann, all coming directly from their Bundesliga competitors.
The head to head
The two teams faced each other six times in the Regionalliga Nordost between 2017 and 2020, with Union winning three times, Leipzig twice, and one draw. Three current Union players – Latoya Bach, Celine Frank and Lisa Heiseler – were on the pitch for the last encounter. Anja Mittag, who is now assistant coach, played for Leipzig at the time.
The personnel
Union head coach Ailien Poese will be without Maria Cristina Lange and Katja Orschmann on Sunday.
The reunions
With Fatma Sakar, Korina Janez and Maria Cristina Lange, three former Leipzig players are under contract with 1. FC Union Berlin. Sakar and Janez were promoted to the Bundesliga together in 2023.
The coach’s views ahead of the game
“We’re well prepared, but of course Leipzig are a team from the Bundesliga who have started the season well,” said a cautiously optimistic Union head coach, Ailien Poese, during her press conference on Friday afternoon. “We’ll throw everything into it, want to take our chances and accept the challenges everywhere on the pitch.”
Service information
The Stadion An der Alten Försterei opens its gates at 14:30. Tickets for the match are on sale at all Union Zeughaus stores and online. There will also be a ticket office open on match day.
The match will be broadcast live on Sky as the top match of the 2nd round.
Union will also provide information about the match via the club’s own live ticker, as well as offering updates in English and Spanish on twitter.
