Women's Team Host Jena:
Union Aiming for a First DFB-Pokal Quarter Final
1. FC Union Berlin's women's team have reached the DFB Pokal round of 16 for only the second time in their history. Now, on Saturday, their aim is to make it to the quarter-finals for the first time as they host FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Kick off at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei is at 14:00.
The lie of the land
FC Carl Zeiss Jena ended a series of three consecutive defeats last weekend, and scured their third point of the current Bundesliga season with a 1-1 draw in the relegation battle against SGS Essen.
1. FC Union Berlin, meanwhile, recently completed a challenging week with three matches in seven days, all of which were lost. The 3-0 to fourth-placed SV Werder Bremen, 4-1 at home to record champions VfL Wolfsburg, and 4-0 loss to the reigning champions FC Bayern München were among the toughest challenges of the season so far.
FC Carl Zeiss Jena are still waiting for their first victory in the current Bundesliga season, and their three draws and seven losses see them currently second-bottom. However, the gap to safety is only three points, meaning that staying in the league is undoubtedly still within reach.
Their only competitive win this season came in the DFB Pokal, where they routed the fourth-division BSG Chemie Leipzig 5-0. With this, Jena reached the round of 16 in the competition for the fifth consecutive time. From 2022 to 2024, the club reached the quarter-finals stage.
Despite the ongoing wait for the first Bundesliga win, coach Florian Kästner's team have at least already netted ten times this season compared to last season's seven. Top scorer and playmaker is Isabella Jaron with three goals and three assists. In comparison, in the last season, Luca Birkholz, now in Freiburg, was Jena's most dangerous player with two goals and one assist.
The only previous competitive match between Union and Jena took place on matchday four of the current Bundesliga season. Union dominated the first half at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld, and were deservedly leading at the break thanks to a debut Bundesliga goal from Katja Orschmann. Shortly after the restart, Jena equalised, but in the 90th minute, Dina Orschmann scored a much-celebrated winner to make it 2-1.
Anna Weiß played in Jena for nine years, first for FF USV Jena, and from 2020 (due to the takeover) for FC Carl Zeiss. Between 2014 and 2023, she made 53 Bundesliga and 85 second division appearances for the club.
On the other side, Gwen Mummert and Josephine Bonsu return to their former workplace. Mummert played 21 matches for Union’s women between 2016 and 2018, while Bonsu made a total of 29 appearances in the Regionalliga from 2018 to 2021. Both had previously played in Union's U17s.
Union's coaching team will have to do without the services of Anna Aehling, Cara Bösl, Hannah Eurlings, Korina Janež, Leonie Köster, Tanja Pawollek, and Naika Reissner on Saturday.
“Jena are a defensive, compact team whosee play is often accented through transitional moments," said Union's headcoach, Ailien Poese ahead of the cup-tie. "For us, it is important to defend well, as well as to create our own chances with the ball and precisely execute them.”
Tickets for the match are available for general sale at all Union's Zeughaus stores as well as online . The Stadion An der Alten Försterei opens its gates and ticket office at 12:30. Remaining parking spaces are available in front of the main stand for €8.
The match will be broadcast live in Germany on RBB. Additionally, Union will provide updates in German on the live ticker, and in English on twitter. As always a comprehensive English match report will be puclished after the final whistle.
