On Sunday, 22 September 2024, the women's team of 1. FC Union Berlin will play SG 99 Andernach as part of the 2. Liga’s 4th matchday. Kick off at the Stadion Andernach is at 14:00.

The lie of the land

Both teams managed to get their first 2. Liga wins of the season last weekend. Andernach beat 1. FC Nürnberg 1-0 away from home, and with it moving off the bottom of the table after suffering defeats to Borussia Mönchengladbach (2-1 away) and SV 67 Weinberg (2-0 at home). Andernach also lost in the first round of the DFB Pokal, going down 2-1 to fellow second division club, SC Sand.

Union, meanwhile, remain unbeaten after five competitive matches this season. Last Sunday, the Berliners defeated the previous league leaders SV 67 Weinberg 2-0 to claim their first three points in the 2nd Bundesliga. With five points from three games and a place in the last 16 of the DFB Pokal, they can look back on a successful start to the season.

The opponents

SG 99 Andernach have been playing in the Women's 2. Bundesliga without interruption since 2019 and have established themselves in the upper midfield of the table in recent years. After finishing as high as 4th in 2021/22, the team came 5th in last two seasons. However, Andernachhad already declared in 2023 - as the club sat in 2nd place in the table - that they would not be able to be promoted to the Bundesliga due to infrastructure reasons.

Isabelle Hawel has been back on the sidelines since this summer. The 38-year-old previously coached the team from 2017 to 2022 and most recently served as team manager. Under her leadership, Andernach not only achieved promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, but also recorded the best season finish in the club's history. She also led Andernach to the quarter finals of the DFB Pokal in 2021.

Andernach’s winner against 1. FC Nürnberg last weekend was scored by centre forward Antonia Hornberg, who had actually already planned to end her career in January 2023. The 33-year-old, who is also the oldest player in the squad, returned from retirement in August after a year and a half off. It was her first second division goal in two and a half years.

The head to head

When SG 99 Andernach were promoted to the second division in 2019, the club did so having beaten Union in the promotion play-offs. After a 1-1 first-leg draw, Andernach won the second leg 2-0 at home, dashing the Berliners' promotion hopes. Two players from the current Union squad, Charleen Niesler and Lisa Heiseler, were in the starting line-up at the time.

The two teams also met in a friendly in the summer of 2022; the second game under Union's new head coach Ailien Poese. Thanks to a brace from Antonia Hornberg, who had already scored in the decisive second leg of the 2019 promotion play-off, Andernach ran out 2-0 winners again.

Personnel

Union's head coach Ailien Poese will have to do without Maria Cristina Lange and Katja Orschmann on Sunday.

The coaches’ views ahead of the game

“Andernach are an experienced team who have been competing at the top of the table in recent years,” said Poese of her side’s opponents in midweek.” They are physically very stable, robust and bring a high level of intensity to the pitch. We will be challenged to recognise phases of the game where we can secure possession and score. Or to create dangerous situations when we switch from defence to attack and continue to work as intensely against the ball as we have in recent weeks.’

Service information

The game will be played on Sunday at 14:00 in the Andernach Stadium (Stadionstraße, 56626 Andernach). Tickets are only available on the gate.

The game will be live and free on Sporttotal . In addition, there will be a updates on Union’s own live ticker as well as regular updates in English and Spanish on Twitter.