This was never going to be a walk in the park for Union.

With the voices of the intrepid travelling Union fans echoing around the expanses of the Bruchwegstadion – the former home of Mainz’s first team, and a place that Union’s men’s side had never won at – the home side were solid, dogged, and confident against an Union side, much changed from their two league wins earlier in this busiest of weeks.

At the start, however, it looked as if it could be a spectacle. Within the first two minutes Chiara Bouziane beat Samantha Steuerwald down the right, putting the ball through her legs in the first coherent move of a hard-fought, if seldom glittering game. Eileen Campbell was a millimetre away from her first competitive goal for Union, as she hit the bar with a looping header, putting Yurina Imai under all sorts of pressure from Anna Aehling’s dipping, swinging cross from plenty of space on the left.

Though Mainz were recently promoted to the 2. Liga, and had advanced through the knock-out phase of this year’s cup with a win over the equally ambitious Stuttgart, a gulf in styles was clear to see early on. Indeed, the guests had to get used to dominating the ball, to being the ones agitating against deep-set opponents. Still, however, they weren’t taking much to chance, and Campbell was seen winning the ball almost at left-back after ten minutes.

In an effort she almost exactly mirrored 20 minutes later, Anna Aehling drew the next stop from Mamiko Matsumoto in the Mainz goal after quarter of an hour with a stinging drive, though one put too close to the Japanese keeper from well outside the box. Aehling was standing out in her unusual full-back position, getting plenty of, as the old phrase goes, chalk on her boots, and she then played in Dina Orschmann between Jana Meierfrankenfeld and Anna Donner. Tanja Pawollek, heavily involved in midfield, couldn’t find a way past the steadfast Matsumoto after 28 minutes.

Oschmann then headed just over after a lovely piece of play, as Pawollek and Campbell linked up, the latter chipping back across goal from the byline. It served a neat allegory for the half; Union huffed and puffed but couldn’t break through the massed ranks of the Mainz backline. And as the break loomed, Johanna Berg and Bouziane both came close to breaking the deadlock. Cara Bösl, however, was unperturbed, and the sides went into halftime goalless.

Ailien Poese made two changes at the break, bringing Naika Reissner and Lisa Heiseler on for Heikkinen and Moraitou, like-for-like. And immediately Reissner caused panic as she drove into the Mainz box from the left, in a scene familiar to all who have watched Union so far this season.

Heiseler, too, seemed to add a little pace and bite into the middle, taking a short pass from Steuerwald superbly, then forcing Heidrun Sigurdardottir to make an excellent, well-timed challenge, as she turned in the box, moving the ball onto her trusty left foot, ready to shoot.

But Mainz too were looking to advance more readily as the second half wore on, especially through the dangerous Bouziane, who drew a fine tackle first from Aehling, then crossed cleverly across the box where Steuerwald hoicked the ball clear. This was the cue for Poese to make her next attacking change, bringing on Sophie Weidauer on for Janež.

Still Union controlled the ball, but still they came up against a brick wall every time they got into the final third. Dina Orschmann tried to thread a pass through towards Campbell, Weidauer lobbed a cross deep towards the head of Heiseler. At the toher end, Bouziane evaded the challenges of Steuerwald, but scuffed her shot straight at Bösl. That was by the by, however, as while she turned, Aehling had gone down heavily, to be led off, a grimace on her face, clearly hurt.

Tomke Schneider took her place on the left with just over fifteen minutes to play. She got a yellow card almost immediately for a lunge on Bathmann.

Then, with just over 15 minutes to play, Union made the breakthrough after a fine, sweeping move. Pawollek advanced up the middle, finding Reissner, who laid the ball off for Heiseler. Union’s captain then found Eileen Campbell with a pinpoint cross for Campbell to claim her first competitive goal for Union, leaping in the box and planting a fine header past Matsumoto.

Union, now becalmed, were now posing more of a constant threat. Reissner slipped Weidauer through, but Matsumoto cleared up. Schneider won a corner that the keeper then punched clear under pressure.

But Mainz weren’t to be brushed aside as easily as that, and Union of course could cast their minds back to the same round last season, when they needed a penalty shoot-out to advance past Gütersloh. Vital Kats suddenly found herself free, but Weiß managed to get to her just in time to force her back, and the chance evaporated away, as quickly as it had appeared.

With two minutes to go, Campbell got her second, running onto the longest of clearances, and taking the ball from almost inside her own half before slotting it under the sprawling Matsumoto. It was a cool, striker’s finish.

It was a battle, and thoughts turned immediately to the injured Aehling. But, crucially, Union were guaranteed a place in the next round.

‘It was a very difficult game today because we had to play against a deep block. Huge respect to Mainz, who kept it open for a long time and, above all, defended strongly. In the end, I'm happy that we were able to win the game in 90 minutes." 

"Today, we had to be patient to create chances. But that was to be expected when you go into a game as favourites against a supposed underdog who are sitting deep. In the end, we forced the win and kept a clean sheet, which we are obviously very happy about."

"We were prepared for Mainz to defend very well and play compactly. We are delighted that we were able to score two goals towards the end and ultimately deserved to progress,"