1. FC Union Berlin’s women’s team came away from their game against FC Bayern München II on Sunday afternoon with a point following their 2-2 draw. Despite Union having gone two goal up through Korina Janež and Lisa Heiseler, the hosts responded with a brace from captain Jana Kappes to level the scores.

1. FC Union Berlin: Bösl – Metzker, Markou, Weiß, Steinert – Frank, Janez (90. Seiro), Moraitou – D. Orschmann (90. Abu Sabbah), Heiseler, Reissner 

FC Bayern München II: Wellmann – Keitel, Kappes, Reszler, Gloning – Ernst, Hünten, Weixler – Hoffmann (70. Terakaj), Senftl (70. Roduner), Zawistowska 

The starting XI

Ailien Poese made two changes to the side that beat Andernach last weekend for Union’s trip to Munich. Cara Bösl was in goal, behind a back four of Pia Metzker on the right, with Anna Weiß  shuffling into the middle in place  of Charleen Niesler, alongside Eleni Markou, with Judith Steinert at left-back.

Celine Frank held the midfield three, behind Korina Janež and Athanasia Moriatou, while Dina Orschmann returned to the right hand side in place of Antonia Halverkamps, opposite Naika Reissner on the left, with captain, Lisa Heiseler, leading the line.

Attendance: 200

Goals: 0-1 Janez (31.); 0-2 Heiseler (50.), 1-2 Kappes (64.), 2-2 Kappes (89.) 

Janež’s finish underlines Union’s dominance

Under grey skies, with a brutal fence alongside one touchline, and the hundred or so Union fans opposite on the six-stepped stand flanking an as yet unlaid pitch, this was hardly glamorous, if necessary following the waterlogged pitch Union versus Bayern II was supposed to be played on.

But that was the least of Ailien Poese’s worries. Her squad had been decimated by injury and illness, and she could only field five outfield players on the bench. The last time Union played Bayern II they were 3-0 up at half time, but  with the crucial end of season games looming, this would be about getting over the line.

And though they came away with a battling, and vital point at the end Eleni Markou put her head in her hands, as if she  had been on the losing side. Her international team-mate, Athanasia Moraitou, said they had lost concentration in letting a two goal lead slip. But that can happen when you get towards the sharp end, and Union are still unbeaten in  2025.

Yet, they weren’t going to be left wondering what if, and Union were quick to go into the attack, even if Bayern, too, were in the rush of an impressive run of form. After a lovely drop of the shoulder from Korina Janež, Athanasia Moraitou set Naika Reissner free up the right-hand side. She has been devastating from there since the turn of the year and immediately showed her marker a clean pair of heel as she cut into the box.

Lisa Heiseler then came closer, a whisker from heading home Dina Orschmann’s wonderful, outswinging cross from the right, that left Bayern keeper, Anna Wellmann caught in a fog of unknowing as the ball hung in the air for a moment.

Korina Janež then could have opened the scoring after ten minutes, but the ball, bouncing back off Wellmann, caught her unawares and on the hop.

She cursed, but Union were playing superbly during the opening passages, and she was at the heart of much of it. Say what you will about artificial pitches, but at least the ball rolled with a level of predictability that was impossible in Weinberg a fortnight ago when the grass was more like playing on peat.

But for all that, it was Bayern who would carve out the next big chance, and, indeed, should have taken the lead after 15 minutes when Cara Bösl did just enough to put Celina Senftl off, her shot flying wide of the Union keeper’s left-hand post.

Union weren’t to be daunted, and they carried on, with Reissner a constant threat down the left, always on the charge, whether overlapping with Steinert, cutting inside, or crossing from the byline, as she did for Orschmann after 20 minutes.

Union’s opener, however, would come from the other side, when after 30 minutes, Pia Metzker hit a cross in towards Wellmann’s near post. Though the keeper got to it with plenty of time, she seemed to lose sight of the ball in the sea of grey and could only push it out as far as the onrushing Janež, who bundled it over the line.

Union had hit their stride, and it took a combination of Wellmann and the bar to deny Orschmann seven minutes later after another indomitable Reissner run down the left, and an almost perfect volley, down into the ground, skidding and bouncing back off the pitch.

Heiseler, the scorer of Union’s previous four goals up to Janež’s, was next up, hitting one from 25 yards with almost the last kick of the half, but it flew just wide of Wellmann’s goal.

Kappes strikes twice as Bayern come back for the point

Poese sent her charges out for the second half unchanged, but it would only take four minutes for them to double their lead. Lisa Heiseler picked up on the sloppiest of passes, as she lurked in the space between Bayern’s midfield and defence, turning, almost surprised at such a gift. She picked pout Reissner who charged, cut inside and laid the ball off, back for the skipper who only had to roll it home for two nil.

Union were now playing clever, working the ball around, using the full width of the pitch. One move went from Moraitou, on the edge of the Bayern box but to the left, back to Steinert, across to Weiß, up to Heiseler and back to Moraitou again. They were probing, but with it pragmatic, not wanting to risk too much.

But with just over 25 minutes to play, München were back in it as a testing corner from the right was deflected the way of captain, Jana Kappes. Her shot from inside the 18-yard box was true, but Bösl got a big touch to it on the way and looked aghast to have been beaten.

“For whatever reason - we'll have to talk about why - we then got a bit nervous and conceded the goals,” said Poese after the final whistle.

For, suddenly Union seemed to be unnerved for the first time. Bayern started to dominate the ball, their self-confidence up through the goal. Union were chasing the game for the first time since it began, and Bösl  was grateful to have the ball in her hands after Sarah Ernst’s somewhat lacklustre shot rounded off a superb break down the inside right.

As Bayern pushed up, Union roused themselves through Orschmann, exploiting the space left at the back, however, and Reissner was again thwarted by the quick thinking of Wellmann as she slid in at the back post with quarter of an hour to play.

Eleni Markou, so diligent at the back alongside her new partner Weiß, got a  yellow card with  five minutes to go as Union held on desperately, and with Poese still yet to make a single change. But the pressure told as Sarah Ernst found Sophia Weixler who twisted and turned inside the box, before crashing to the ground. Daniela Kottmann had no choice, she pointed to the spot immediately.

Again, the captain, Kappes, stepped up, sending Bösl the wrong way to make it 2-2.

With only minutes remaining now Sarah Abu Sabbah and Elli Seiro came on in place of Orschmann and Janež, but there was little they could do now to tip the balance back in Union’s favour. The final whistle came after three minutes added on that felt like an hour as the impressive Ernst tricked her way down the left, time and again.

Moraitou managed to be circumspect, as she so often is. “I think that's a good lesson for us today,” she said, “but then, from tomorrow, it's time to look ahead again.”

That they know they still have things to learn can only work in their favour. But, ultimately, should Union achieve a promotion they are still on course for, this will go down as an important point along the way.