Championship match ball in the capital: FCB Women away to Union

A win in Berlin would see the Munich side crowned German champions ahead of schedule. But even a draw could see them clinch the title - provided VfL Wolfsburg don't win their rearranged game at SV Werder Bremen, which will take place at the same time. The same scenario applies in the event of a defeat for FCB Women, provided the team from Lower Saxony also lose their match: In that case, the Munich Frauen's lead would remain at an unassailable 13 points with four matchdays to go before the end of the season, meaning the league title would be mathematically out of their reach (click here for the table).

The opposition: 1. FC Union Berlin

Barcala's side would be wise to show some caution against Union Berlin: The Irons are unbeaten in five games and also enjoy upsetting the ‘big teams’. Before the international break, Ailien Poese's side were on the verge of defeating second-placed Wolfsburg, but had to settle for a draw in the end. After Eurlings put them ahead and the Wolves equalised straight after through Minge, the Berliners took a 3-1 lead in the second half thanks to an own goal by Küver and a header from Hipp. Despite Küver pulling one back, Union held out hope of victory for a long spell after Wolfsburg's goalkeeper was shown a red card, before Pujols equalised in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

The Munich women can head to the capital with plenty of confidence: They celebrated an emphatic 4-0 win in their first ever Bundesliga game against Union in the first half of the season. In fact, the Frauen have been in top form against newly promoted sides for a long time now: FCB have not lost to newcomers in 48 Bundesliga outings, winning 47 of them and only drawing 1-1 once at Nürnberg in December 2023.

Moreover, FCB are on an impressive winning streak: they've won all of their last 18 Bundesliga matches, equalling the club's internal record - previously, that kind of a run had only been achieved from June 2020 to March 2021. That record could be topped in the clash against Union.

Team news

Head coach Barcala remains without Sarah Zadrazil and Lena Oberdorf as they recover from their cruciate ligament injuries. Jovana Damnjanović (workload) is training individually and is not yet an option for the upcoming matches. The same applies to Alara (partial ACL tear), who returned to team training this week.

Giulia Gwinn is back in training after her shoulder injury and a decision on her availability will be taken after the final training session. Klara Bühl and Katharina Naschenweng are once again an option for the game in Berlin following their injuries.

Pre-match quotes

José Barcala: "We can expect an intense, physical match against a strong Union Berlin. We'll have to be at our very best from the very first minute in this narrow stadium. We'll approach the game with great respect, but we'll stick to our structure and our principles. If we can produce our game on the pitch, we can earn the chance to secure the title in Berlin - as a reward for a very consistent season, for the daily work of the team and staff, and for our fans."

Georgia Stanway: "We're expecting very agile opponents in Union Berlin, who will make life difficult for us. They've already shown how strong they are several times this season, especially at home. We want to control the ball, patiently open up spaces and break through their presumably deep block - without losing our energy and quality in the process. Our goal is clearly in sight and we're really looking forward to the clash at the Alte Försterei."

🏟️✨FC Bayern Women face Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League on Saturday evening - get your tickets for the home game at the Allianz Arenahere!

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