Ailien Poese beamed as she took her traditional pre-match walkabout, feeling the grass under her toes for a last time, the Alte Försterei already starting to fill as she looked around. Since playing here herself, then leading her team out on huge days - from the first derby here with Hertha, to the play-off win over Henstedt-Ulzburg, to their crowning as 2. Liga champions last year against Gütersloh - this was the last time she’d be doing this as head coach of 1. FC Union Berlin’s women’s team.

A banner in the Gegengerade at kick off simply read “You were, are, and always will be an Unionerin.” It was joined by a towering image of Poese as Nina Hagen’s hymn rang out, the height of the stand. There were few dry eyes left in the house.

 She wasn’t the only one saying goodbye, of course. Athletic trainer, Marcus Liebig and co-coach, Sabrina Eckhoff got their send offs, as did Athanasia Moraitou, Celine Frank, Fatma Sakar and Julia Kassen. Names redolent with the successes this team have made on their way here. To becoming the highest attended team in the Bundesliga. The astonishing crowd of almost 14,000 meant that the Alte Försterei had hosted 106, 627 this season. They have come so far. 

But festivities put aside, there was little time to look back. Poese was aware of the danger that Hoffenheim posed, even as she had her eyes on a place in the top half of the table, to cap what was already the most successful debut campaign in almost 20 years. They were still within touching distance of third, and though Jenny Hipp lashed a shot over the bar after only a minute, taking advantage of a loose ball out from Lisa Doorn, they would race into an early lead.

It took only 90 seconds, and came with a slice of great, if inevitable irony, as it was Jill Janssens, the Belgian international who had announced her signing for Union back in April, who scored the opener. She slipped into the six-yard box, unnoticed, and picked out superbly by Selina Cerci. All she had to do was roll the ball home.

It was even easier for Nikee Van Dijk to make it two after eight minutes. Again, Hoffenheim attacked down the left, and again the ball was squared simply into the box. Van Dijk couldn’t miss.

Union countered – they would rarely seem troubled for the rest of the half, indeed, the early double seeming ever more incongruous - and Judith Steinert was certain she had won a penalty as her shot struck the outstretched digits of Wianda Douma. But, her pleas ignored, Union’s full-back was in action almost straight afterwards at the other end, stretching a leg out just in time to stop the flying Janssens as she attacked a pass into the channel.

Hipp looked to slow the pace, turning away from Vanessa Diehm in one move, robbing Janna Grimm with the next. It was her intervention that then saw Eileen Campbell shooting from just outside the area, winning a corner as it took a deflection along the way. Sophie Weidauer then saw her shot blocked, having killed Hannah Eurlings’ pass with a fine first touch. Weidauer came even closer, and held her head in her hands, after volleying Steinert’s cross over, having snuck in behind the Hoffenheim back-line.

Union’s left-back, Steinert, was a menace, continuing her superb form, causing problems every time she passed into the Hoffenheim box, and she would make a final, decisive, tackle on Janssens before the half was out.

Union were coming ever closer, and it took a wonderful save from Laura Dick, flinging herself to her left, to tip Eurlings’ stinging drive away. This time the chance had been created by Lisa Heiseler and the ever-present Hipp. Lia Kamber then caught one with her left on the stroke of half an hour, but it just wouldn’t bend enough to go into the top corner.

Unchanged at the break, Union were on the back foot quickly after the re-start, but the ever-watchful Tysiak got in front of German international, Cerci, before she could do any damage with her shot. But they were quick to try and get going again, again as Steinert found Eurlings, picking out Campbell, but her run was halted almost as soon as it had begun.

Then, the hero of last week, Bösl, was called into action for the first time as Hoffenheim upped their pressure. Ampoorter was set free, suddenly with miles of space all around her, after the simplest of passes over the top. You’d have put your house on her to score, but Union’s keeper stayed on her feet, forcing the early shot, and catching it two-handed as she dived to her left. She would get out quickly to claim the ball ahead of substitute Naomi Luyet three minutes later as that gap suddenly opened up again, then dived in bravely at the feet of Cerci, the league’s top-scorer, just doing enough to stop her.

Steuerwald drove from range, low, and hard, but it fizzed just wide of the right-hand post, with Dick already looking beaten.

Then Poese made her first changes, bringing Nele Bauereisen and Naika Reissner on for Heiseler and Weiß. Still there, though, was Steinert, who chose to cut back across goal instead of taking on the shot when played in by Kamber. When Kamber then played Bauereisen in at the near post, she couldn’t get enough on her effort, and Dick held it easily.

The next chance passed up came at the other end, as Luyet shaped to bend one inside the back post when again free in front of goal, but the ball rebelled, going straight as an arrow, well wide.

Poese made her final raft of changes with 15 minutes to play, as Katja Orschmann, Fatma Skar and Leonie Köster came on for Hipp, Weidauer and Steinert. Union were still battering away, with Eurlings seeing her free kick plucked away from heading into the top corner by Dick, but by now Hoffenheim were content to keep things tight at the back, and when Sakar was found in space on the right by Campbell’s clever cross-field ball, stretching, she couldn’t get enough on it.

Now up top for the final minutes, with Orschmann taking her place next to Tysiak, Steuerwald flicked her header back, cleverly, but still it dropped just over the bar. Then, few on the Gegengerade could believe their eyes as Campbell’s shot hit the outside netting, certain that it had snuck inside the post.

Feli Delacauw put over with the final touch of the game, but by that point it was immaterial. Poese got her team together for a final word at the stadium she loves, and that loves her, after the final whistle. The result be damned, it was time to say goodbye. They all had just a single game to go.