Well, how far they have come. In front of a wonderful crowd of 13,132, a sea of red and white that would have seemed unimaginable only a couple of years ago when 1. FC Union Berlin hosted Viktoria at the same point at the Fritz Lesch Sportplatz in front of a couple of hundred people, Union rose to the occasion. In more ways than one. After the final whistle the Real Madrid players, internationals, feted and pampered, looked on as if stunned at the scenes, at the crowd, at the love and respect pouring down. This was a huge statement.

And the hosts were certainly up for it. From the off Nele Bauereisen snapped into a tackle on Eva Navarro on Real’s left, turning, bustling forwards and ultimately laying the ball off for Tanja Pawollek. The former Eintracht captain’s first touch at the Alte Försterei in Union’s colours was a delicate chip which, though artful, didn’t bend quite enough to trouble Misa’s top left-hand corner. Tomke Schenider’s tackle from behind on Caroline Weir – one of many - was sharp and to the point; Anna Weiß’s on Filippa Angeldahl was similarly so, if more necessary, stopping a neat move in its tracks that saw the ball passed along the middle in short, measured steps.

Dina Orschmann and Pawollek meanwhile organised things in midfield, pointing, gesturing, guiding, but as ten minutes passed, Real were starting to boss things and Navarro capped off the next fine move with a superb low volley, hit off a diagonal ball without breaking stride as she burst into the box.

But Union weren’t overwhelmed by their opponents, nor by the occasion, and they rallied. Their best move of the opening came after 15 minutes, when Dina Orschmann took the ball on in midfield, slipping it through to the overlapping Korina Janež. Shei Garcia, however, was onto her like a shot, and did enough to throw the Slovenian off balance before she could get the ball under control enough to shoot. Garcia then had to be sharp to stop Eileen Campbell before she latched onto Heiseler’s clever through ball, the crowd incensed when her back pass to Misa went ignored by the referee.

Ailien Poese and her assistant Sabrina Eckhoff took the drinks break to get their players together, and Katja Orschmann flashed a hip-heigh volley over the bar almost straight after, following Heiseler’s free kick. Janež’s tricky pass to Heiseler a little later was a thing of impish delight, as was Campbell’s first time backheel to the skipper along the halfway line. And Schneider was at times magnificent, marching up the right one minute, launching herself at Navarro the next.

Melanie Wagner replaced Cara Bösl after 30 minutes and was immediately called into action as Signe Brunn found a pocket of space in the box and crashed a shot into the unsuspecting Weiß on the line. Wagner turned and flung herself on the ball, holding it for dear life as her teammate tried in vain to drag some air back into her burning lungs. 

Union were holding firm, but there was little Schneider or Wagner could do to stop Signe Bruun’s 43^rd minute header that she rose high into the air for, just outside the line of the six-yard-box for. She glanced her header past Union’s lunging keeper’s dive for her, and Real’s second.

Poese made two changes at the break, brining on Naika Reissner and Jenny Hipp, who had only arrived in midweek, for Bauereisen and Janež, but they were helpless as Bruun got her second only three minutes into the half, following a mix up at the back. She had time and space in the box and gave Wagner no chance.

But Reissner is a handful at the worst of times, and almost straight away she set off down the left, the ball stuck to her toe like it was glued. She slid a pass through to Dina Orschmann, inside, who placed the finest of low shots across Misa, through the eye of a needle, and inside the back post to make it 3-1.

Mel Wagner was off after an hour for Nadine Böhi, alongside Dina and Katja Orschmann who departed for Celine Frank and Athanasia Moraitou. Böhi’s first touch of ball  coming as she held a corner at her near post calmly at head height before Schneider made another excellent intervention, this time on the German international, and substitute, Sara Däbritz. She then stopped Athenea’s shot point blank, turning her back to escape the fate that had befallen Weiß earlier on.

Union couldn’t have come closer as Frank played Campbell in on goal with 20 minutes to go. She took a touch past Misa and seemed certain to score but held her head in her hands as she saw the ball crash back off the post having done all the hard work. But still as she was down the ball had come the way of Hipp who hit a superb drive from 25 yards, bending away from the Real stopper, but still Misa managed to get it away. Heiseler almost bettered it soon after when her own long-range shot flew just wide of the top right corner.

Union were not going to go down without a fight and again Moraitou and Heiseler combined to try to play Campbell in as she darted into the box. But as the sun bore down, and the clock ticked over, they started to tire and could thank Böhi for saving efforts from Pau and Alba Redondo, even if neither was struck with wicked pace, as well as substitute, Anna Aehling, for a well-judged tackle on the dangerous Pau.

After the final whistle the fans stayed in their thousands to give their love, to show their pride. Despite the loss. For this had been a huge occasion, a moment of monumental pride.