Having defeated Hertha 03 Zehlendorf only last weekend, the women's team of 1. FC Union Berlin are heading again to the southwest of Berlin on Sunday to play SFC Stern 1900. Kick-off on the Schildhornstraße artificial pitch in Steglitz is at 14:00.

The opponents

After six years in the Regionalliga Nordost, SFC Stern 1900 are now directly threatened with dropping out of the third tier. Head coach Marco Böning's team are currently twelfth, in the relegation places, with twelve points. Considering that there will probably be at least four teams relegated this season - as per the league's reform from 14 to 12 teams for next season - Stern are already seven points off safety.

Accordingly, the team from Steglitz urgently need points, but they have been hard to come by this year, with just a solitary draw on the record from four games. Last weekend, they suffered another defeat, losing 5-2 to Bischofswerdaer FV.

There has, however been a beacon in their season in their continued participation in the BFV Pokal. Three weeks ago they celebrated a superb 2-1 win over Borussia Pankow in the semi-finals. The final - ominously, against Viktoria Berlin - will take place at the end of April, the first time that Stern have reached it since 2015. The winner will take part in the DFB Pokal next season.

The reunion

Sunday's match is likely to be a special one for Dina and Katja Orschmann. After all, the twin sisters, who returned to Union in the winter, took their first steps at SFC Stern 1900. From 2003 to 2013, both played in Stern's youth section before switching to Union's youth team at the age of 15.

The head to head

There were few remaining questions after the last time the sides met, with Union running out 8-0 winners, despite having only been 2-0 up after 45 minutes. Megan Reichenbach, Lisa Heiseler and Lina Krauss scored a brace each in an electric second half performance.

Union are still unbeaten against Stern, having won eight of the nine games they have played so far. The only draw (2-2) came the first time the sides met in the summer of 2017.

The coach's view ahead of the match

"We expect a compact opponent in Stern who will do everything they can to defend their goal," said a cautious Ailien Poese, Union's head coach. "But they will also repeatedly switch to attack through quick, targeted actions."