It had been a while since Union’s women’s team last played at the Lichterfelde Stadion. Back then, in what would prove a decisive victory for the Regionalliga title race, they won 2-0, courtesy of Lisa Heiseler and Sarah Abu Sabbah’s goals. Mel Wagner performed heroics in Union’s goal that day, as she would in the cup-final win over Viktoria nearer the end of that historic, double winning season.

While Heiseler led the line for Union today, the latter pair were in the sky blue of the hosts, with Wagner called into action early, saving well from Jenny Hipp’s shot from the edge of the box.

Union were the better side in those opening phases, their re-modelled side full of players looking to take advantage of the international break to recommend themselves for further appearances. Katja Orschmann clipped a lovely cross from the right, knocked down by Heiseler; Marina Georgieva brushed Melissa Ugochukwu off the ball with muscular ease.

But it was Viktoria, themselves with a point to prove, who took the lead after only 10 minutes when Nina Ehegötz hit a spectacular volley, dipping over Cara Bösl’s head. Though she had time to balance herself, it was a fine strike from a player Union knew all too well from those earlier clashes.

Union, always threatening from their set-pieces – saw Wagner make another save, this time with her left foot, as Georgieva shot low from a Hipp free kick; Silje Helgesen snuck in around the back for Heiseler free kick, but was barged out of play. Halverkamps whipped her next heavy cross in from the right, but Heikkinen couldn’t properly connect as she swung for it, first time.

Though a friendly, Viktoria weren’t taking things easy. Katja Orschmann, Hipp, Heikkinen and Georgieva were all either pushed or pulled or knocked to the floor in the first half an hour. And as such, it was fitting that Union’s equaliser, coming after 33 minutes, was from another Hipp dead-ball, headed downwards, the ball bouncing in front of Wagner on its way to goal.

They had a good shout for a penalty five minutes later when Sarah-Vanessa Stöckmann headed the ball onto her hand in her own box, but the Union players’ cries were studiously ignored by referee, Lilly-Sophie Ziemann. Union came even closer as the half came towards its end when Hipp crashed a free kick from outside the box off the bar. An inch lower and Wagner had no chance.

But, just before the break came, they were 2-1 up as Halverkamps smashed her shot past the former Union keeper, capping a neat bit of passing up the middle. Having given as good as they got, they were well worth the lead.

Ailien Poese changed things a little at the break, bringing Samantha Steuerwald and Anna Weiß on for Georgieva and Judith Steinert, the glorious sunshine now at their backs, if the constant changes of players on both sides would become the soundtrack to the second half. 

But Union had little time to settle as fellow substitute, Leylla Aydin, ran onto a high ball over the middle, and finished low to Bösl’s right before Katja Orschmann could make up the ground in time to stop her. Aydin was soon enough in the middle of the action at the other end as she and Katja Orschmann battled for a loose ball, no quarters given, at the other end. Orschmann was quickest up off the tatty pitch and cleared, but Aydin wasn’t done, moving fast onto the rebound after Bösl’s next good stop, but put her shot wide of the near post. 

The goal-scoring hero of that Regionalliga season, Abu Sabbah, had also come on at the break, though she would screw her first effort wide after the flatly-crossed ball spun awkwardly behind her run, catching her off-balance.

Union countered again, and Wagner’s half-time replacement, Gina Schüller, saved well with her legs when Heiseler powered a left-footed shot her way; Hipp then looked on as her wicked corner flew off a stray head in the box, off the underside of the crossbar, and somehow away to safety. Steuerwald headed the next corner, from the other side, over.

Meanwhile, having gone off, Steinert returned on the opposite side to before, this time replacing Katja Orschmann while Nadine Böhi came on between the posts for Bösl. Orschmann would be back with ten minutes left, replacing Hipp this time.

Much of the sting of the first have had been taken out of the game since the equaliser, however. And a Schüller claim of a high ball when under pressure from Union players all around her, and when Halverkamps thought, just for a moment, she might be able to catch a low volley on the turn, aside, there were few big chances for either side.

Viktoria finished strongly. Aydin shot over at full stretch, following Senanur Yavuz’s bustling run down the right, with just over five minutes to play; Böhi tipped Abu Sabbah’s shot over the bar after she’d been played in by Ugochukwu, before getting down to her right to tip the latter’s own shot away from it path, creeping towards the inside of the upright. But for all their efforts, full time came with the scores level.

It had been an exercise more than worthwhile,