1. FC Union Berlin’s women’s team beat 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam II 8-0 on matchday 9 of the Regionalliga Nordost season. In front of 200 spectators in Dörpfeldstraße, Dina Orschmann opened the scoring for Union in only the 5th minute before Sarah Abu Sabbah bagged a brace before the break. In the second half Abu Sabbah made her hattrick and Lisa Heiseler got two, as did Celine Frank Abu Sabbah to ensured a clear victory.

1. FC Union Berlin: Wagner - Metzker (70. Reissner), K. Orschmann, Niesler, D. Orschmann - Frank, Görsdorf, Heiseler (70. Becker) - Blaschka (70. Youssef), Abu Sabbah, Trojahn (84. Bach)

1st FFC Turbine Potsdam II: Droz - Aniwaa, Heisen, Dommasch, Gärtner (46. Löwe) - Lemke (80. Krumbholz), Weltz (80. Helmke), Robitsch, Bretschneider - Deutsch, Ibrahim

Personnel: Union head coach Ailien Poese changed the starting eleven in three positions compared to the 5-0 win against Magdeburger FFC last weekend. Instead of Athanasia Moraitou, Nour Youssef and Maria Cristina Lange, Celine Frank, Anouk Blaschka and Sophie Trojahn started.

Goals: 1:0 D. Orschmann (5.), 2:0 Abu Sabbah (34.), 3:0 Abu Sabbah (40.), 4:0 Heiseler (52.), 5:0 Abu Sabbah (61.), 6:0 Frank (67.), 7:0 Heiseler (69.), 8:0 Frank (72.)

Attendance: 200

Wild opening phase - Orschmann and Abu Sabbah ensure comfortable half-time lead

Despite the  short-notice change of venue – this match was scheduled to be in Potsdam, but was switched at the last minute – it started like so many of Union’s games at their beloved Fritz-Lesch Sportplatz this season. They roared into the opening minutes, and as early as the 3rd minute right-back Pia Metzker chased into the box and was brought down for a penalty. Captain Lisa Heiseler took the spot-kick, but, uncharacteristically, put it straight at goalkeeper Laura Droz.

The keeper’s heroics weren’t over yet. She also managed to save Dina Orschmann's follow-up shot before Heiseler pushed the ball over the line at the third attempt. The referee, however, ruled it offside. Despite the missed penalty, Union were not long in taking the lead. Just two minutes later Heiseler sailed a ball into the penalty area and found Dina Orschmann, who nudged it over the line from close range.

Union pressed and pressed, making life intolerable for the midfield of the recently relegated Turbine II. In the 11th minute, Dina Orschmann won the ball in the opposition penalty area, passed it to Heiseler, who shot just wide of the far post. Again, just two minutes later, Turbine were at full stretch as the dominant Sarah Abu Sabbah ran at Droz. However, the ball rolled inches past the post.

Just as the game seemed to be settling down after half an hour, Abu Sabbah caused a stir again with a double chance, first seeing Droz save again having been set up by Sophie Trojahn. It was Trojahn again who set up the next chance with a marauding solo halfway up the pitch, slipping the ball through with perfect timing for Abu Sabbah, who this time showed why she is the league’s top scorer, finishing expertly with her right.

Abu Sabbah scored her second with five minutes to play when she nodded home for a 3-0 half-time lead. It was already her 14th goal of the season.

Union unforgiving: Heiseler, Abu Sabbah and Frank ensure an emphatic victory

Union came out for the second half refusing to relax, remembering the method that has taken them to eight wins from eight; they simply refuse to take their foot off the gas, even when it seems a game is already done for.

Their first chance came in the 50th minute when Dina Orschmann was free to finish after a long, swinging ball from her twin, Katja, but an opposing defender threw herself into the path of the shot and the ball flew just wide of the goal. Two minutes later, however, the ball was in the net. Another through ball reached Lisa Heiseler, who shot inside the back post with her first touch.

But they were only warming up, for after about an hour, Union would score four goals in twelve minutes. First, Abu Sabbah brought the ball down inside the penalty area on the inside left with a beautiful first touch before flicking it into the top corner from the edge of the box. Celine Frank completed the half dozen in the 67th minute after a moment of chaos. Heiseler shot straight at Droz following a misplaced pass, Anouk Blaschka followed up, her shot also blocked, but just as the scene seemed to be over, Celine Frank took aim from distance and drove past the luckless stopper.

Abu Sabbah then blocked Droz's clearance and the ball bounced to the feet of Heiseler, who only had to slot the ball into the empty net before Frank scored the last of the day make it 8-0, the 25-year-old finding the bottom corner from way outside the box with a fantastic effort. Union had further chances through Katja Orschmann and Nour Youssef, who hit the post in the 90th minute, but this was now all just a question of topping up their already bulging goal difference.

So, Union are still to drop a single point in the Regionalliga Nordost after nine games, and continue to lead the table with a six-point advantage over pursuers Viktoria Berlin.

The views on the game

"We did everything today that we talked about last week,” said Union’s head coach, Ailien Poese, after the final whistle. “We were aggressive at the back right from the start, which is the basis for getting on the break quickly and unleashing momentum."

"It was a very special game for me because I played with many Turbine players last year and generally had a great time in Potsdam,” said full-back, Metzker, who joined Union from Turbine II during the summer, meanwhile. “Of course, I still tried to get the three points with my team, and in the end we managed to do that in style,"

The Outlook

The Union players have a weekend off next weekend. In a fortnight, on Sunday, 12.11.2023, the they will then welcome Türkiyemspor Berlin for the 10th matchof the season. Kick-off at Dörpfeldstraße will be at 13:00