Despite the grey skies over Köpenick, and a chill in the wind, there were over 8,800 fans in the Alte Försterei on Sunday afternoon. Though they never gave up hope, particularly in a second half that the home side dominated, Union’s players were shattered at the end, grateful that Naika Reissner was with them at all, if on crutches.

Having started out with Dina Orschmann bullying Lisa Karl back to her own corner flag, Union’s first real attack came after only two minutes, and it was a lovely move, started by Tanja Pawollek’s ranging, curling ball into space for Anna Weiß to run onto, before she crossed from the left. Laura Benkarth in the Freiburg goal claimed the ball under pressure from Lisa Heiseler, but it was a positive sign. As was the sight of Nia Szenk having to dive in at Naika Reissner as Union’s winger cut in to shoot, having been played in by the captain, Heiseler.

But nothing could be taken for granted against a Freiburg side who finished fifth last season - when Samantha Steuerwald and Eileen Campbell were in black, instead of the red and white now on their backs. Lisa Kolb crashed a shot off the base of Cara Bösl’s post after ten minutes as the rain started to fall. It was a sign of things to come as Freiburg started to take control of the game.

She had been set up by Luca Birkholz, and the pair were drifting between their positions up front, dragging Union’s back three out of place as they went. Katja Orschmann did well to rob the third striker, Tessa Blumenberg, coming away with the ball after her sliding tackle in the box. 

Yet it was midfielder Schneider who poked home the opener after Blumenberg cut in from the left and squared. Her finish was clinical, having timed her run perfectly, but it was possibly too easy, and though Pawollek forced Benkarth into a scrambling save on the line soon after. Freiburg were now the stronger side.

Then the worst happened. After the horrible injury to Anna Aehling last weekend, Naika Reissner went down after what looked like a fairly innocuous challenge as she ran into the Freiburg box, the ball at her toe. She immediately rolled over in agony, and slapped the pitch, surrounded by worried looking teammates.

Reissner limped off, supported under each shoulder by the physios, replaced immediately by Antonia Halverkamps. Birkholz should have doubled the lead shortly afterwards, when she flashed her shot over the bar, with only Bösl to beat.

Union rallied, with Heiseler winning the ball in the middle, and Dina Orschmann dropping deeper to support her, but too often Freiburg were winning the 50-50 balls, Szenk and Maj Schneider impressing, standing up to whatever Union could throw their way. The crowd, too, seemed to need a moment to rally after the blow of the Reissner injury.

Halverkamps did superbly under pressure from Kolb, though, turning one way and the next deep in her own half, as did Katja Orschmann and Tomke Schneider, both making vital tackles as Freiburg poured forwards as the half progressed, Schneider making another block from Sophie Nachtigall, having just beaten the far taller player in the air to another high ball from the left.

But Freiburg’s pressure was telling, and Birkholz made it 2-0 after 42minutes, when Maj Schneider somehow beat Heiseler, slipping a pass out right when it seemed there was nothing to be gained at all.

With the last kick of the half Dina Orschmann managed to create an inch of space to turn into, putting her left-footed shot just wide. It gave a little hope.

With the rain now pouring down, Freiburg again started on the front foot, Union’s unchanged side being pushed back immediately. But with the crowd back in full voice, they weren’t to be so easily cowed and stepped up their game. Tomke Schneider robbed Birkholz neatly inside her own box. Julia Stierli had to drag back Campbell as she picked up the ball with her back to goal, halfway inside the Freiburg half.

Union roused themselves, first as Dina Orschmann tried to squeeze a shot off in the box, then when Weidauer set herself to shoot but was brought down half a yard outside it. Halverkamps connected well, but her straight drive flew just wide of the top corner.

They came even closer when Campbell rose to put her header off the bar in the 57^th minute, almost finishing a move started by Katja Orschmann’s wonderful last-ditch tackle on Birkholz as Union threw more and more players forwards.

As the guests made three changes at once, Poese made just the one with almost an hour played, replacing Heiseler with Jenny Hipp, back from injury. Hipp was immediately in the thick of things, tackling sharply, moving the ball on quickly and elegantly

Still Union looked to attack, and it took a full stretch lunge from Benkarth to beat Weidauer to the ball, injuring herself in the process. She had to fling herself at Campbell’s feet after 70 minutes when the indefatigable Halverkamps won the ball on the left and whipped a low cross into no-man’s-land between the striker and keeper. Halverkamps was incensed when called for a foul on Nicole Ojukwu, as was Pawollek - and the massed ranks of the Alte Försterei – when she was pulled up for her own challenge on Stierli.

Weidauer shot over after a neat bit of interplay between Katja Orschmann and Hipp. Then, with ten minutes to play, her twin, Dina was replaced by Ida Heikinnen, a slip of paper in her hand she immediately showed to Schneider as she ran onto the pitch. Bureaucracy aside, Heikkinen did superbly, winning the ball and setting Weidauer away up the right, though Benkarth got in just in time to grab the ball ahead of the onrushing Halverkamps.

Though they never gave up – a performance epitomised by Halverkamps going down hurt, winning the ball down by her own corner flag -  the final chance would come at the other end as Leela Egli won the ball on the byline, and crossed for Alena Bienz to thrash past a helpless Bösl.

If the players looked distraught at the final whistle - it had been their first loss at home since Frankfurt in the Cup almost a year ago, and their first league game without scoring since the same month against Gladbach - the crowd never stopped in their support.

They stayed for an age after the final whistle as the team finished their huddle and came over to the Gegengerade. Reissner, on crutches, had her name sung from top to bottom of the terrace. It was a moving end to a tough day at home.