After two huge home wins for the women's team of 1. FC Union Berlin, it's back to the road this Sunday as SV Eintracht Leipzig-Süd will welcome Union to the Südkampfbahn in Leipzig for the seventh game of the Regionalliga Nordost season.

The opponents

While local rivals RB Leipzig II are currently among the top teams in the league, Leipzig's second team in the Regionalliga Nordost find themselves in a very different position. With only three points from their six games so far, Eintracht Leipzig-Süd are second from bottom in the table, the Saxons' only points soming on the second day of the season with a 4-1 victory over Blau-Weiss Hohen Neuendorf. However, they are coming into this game having suffered four defeats in a row, including a 5-1 defeat in a derby against Bischofswerdaer FV last weekend.

In recent seasons the green and whites, who returned to the Regionalliga in 2018 after a three-year absence, have only ever concerned themselves with staying in the league. Last year they finished in a solid 10th place. They have a new coach in place since then, Karoline Aulrich taking  over as head coach for the new season.

When looking at the Eintracht squad, one name naturally stands out, that of Anja Mittag. The striker played 158 games for the German national team from 2004 to 2017, scoring 50 goals, and has a considerable trophy collection to show for her long career. The 37 years old is a World Cup winner,  three-time European champion, Olympic champion, Champions League winner and has six German championships. Mittag is now winding down her career in the city of her birth having signed up with Eintracht Leipzig-Süd last winter. However, the long-time Turbine Potsdam player (2002-2011) plays only sporadically and has not yet made an appearance this season.

The head-to-head

The teams have only faced each other four times since Leipzig's promotion to the Regionalliga in the summer of 2018, of which Union have won three and drawn one. The last two duels were  clear-cut affairs, in November 2019, there was a 6-0 victory, then last season it ended 8-0. Lisa Heiseler scoring three, Elisa Spolaczyk a brace, as well as goals from Lena Bucher and Megan Reichenbach that day.

But of the four meetings, only one match has taken place in Leipzig, and that game, in October 2018, Eintracht Leipzig-Süd earned a point in a 1-1 draw with an 88th-minute equaliser.

The coach's views ahead of the match

"Of course want to continue to improve upon the way we have played in recent games. We are well aware that Leipzig can sit deep, but are also always good for a goal on the break. We need to be highly aware of this," explained head coach Ailien Poese.

Celine Frank and Sophie Trojahn, as well as Pauline Wimmer, Naika Reissner, Ginger Schulz and Zita Rurack are all in doubt for Sunday's game.