On Sunday, 18 September 2022, the women's team of 1. FC Union Berlin will host RB Leipzig II, their 4th game of the Regionalliga Nordost season. Expectations are high, Union have won all three of their games so far, so sit at the top of the table, just ahead of their Sachsen rivals. Kick-off at Dörpfeldstraße is at 2 pm.

The Opponents
Leipzig have only been running a second team since 2018, counting officially as an U-20s. Due to the financial possibilities in Leipzig, however, the leap into the Regionalliga posed hardly any problems. Within two years, RB Leipzig II swanned through the Landesklasse and Landesliga to the Regionalliga in 2020.

However, since the 2020/21 season was halted due to the Corona pandemic, last season was the U20 team's first in the Regionalliga. Under head coach Manuel Kienitz, Leipzig finished in 5th place with 29 points, putting RB in 3rd place, just three points behind Union. Accordingly Leipzig have to be also considered a candidate in the promotion race this season, although the leap into the 2. Bundesliga is not possible as long as the first team is still playing in the same league. In both of the last two years, RB Leipzig's main team finished 3rd in the 2. Bundesliga.

At the start of the season, meanwhile, RB Leipzig II underlined their lofty ambitions. After an opening day 1-1 draw against Magdeburger FFC, RB recently won both the duel of the second teams against Carl Zeiss Jena II, 3-0, and the Saxony derby with Bischofswerdaer FV, 2-0. They sit, with seven points, just two behind Union. 

Head to Head:

Due to the visitors' comparative lack of history, Union have have only met Leipzig II once before. On the 10th matchday of last season, in November 2021, Union beat them 4-1 away from home. RB had led at half-time, but Union turned the game around in the second half with goals from Celine Frank and Lisa Heiseler, before Elisa Spolaczyk put the finishing touches to the match with a brace.

But Union can also look back on a positive record against Leipzig's first team. In six encounters, Union have three wins and a draw. RB have won twice. In Leipzig's 2019/20 promotion season, it was also Union's women who ensured the Saxons' only loss of points in the entire season with a goalless draw.

The coach's view on the match

Head coach Ailien Poese knows the strength of the visitors: "With RB Leipzig II, we expect a skillful, young team that have shown in recent games that they wants to win games and are both determined and courageous going forward, but are also well balanced defensively."

Personnel

Meanwhile, the personnel situation has eased somewhat after several players were missing in Erfurt due to a wave of illness. Apart from Celine Frank and Sophie Trojahn, all Union's players were able to return to training this week. Apart from the two long-term injuries, only goalkeeper coach Laura Ketzer will be absent on Sunday due to a DFB coach training course.