Hofschneider loses first game, Dresden take the points
Match report
Union Berlin suffered a 1-0 defeat to eastern rivals Dynamo Dresden at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
New coach Andre Hofschneider inherited a difficult situation this week following the departure of Jens Keller after a poor run. With over 22,000 packed into the biggest pure football stadium in Berlin, Keller’s side came up short against the team in black and yellow.
Both teams cancelled each other out in the first half with Hofschneider and Neuhaus watching their teams defend reasonably well. Dresden were limited to a long-range effort from Haris Duljevic, while Union passed up a bunch of good openings due to a lack of precision in the final ball. At the end of the half, Union threatened further through Krisitian Pedersen and Toni Leistner from set pieces, but it wasn’t enough to bother Marvin Schwäbe.
Union Berlin dominated in the quarter of an hour after the restart, but failure to conjure up much creativity in the final third. Neuhaus’ side were defensively strong, and sprung quickly on the counterattack. In the 72nd minute, Lambertz slotted home from close range under little pressure in the Union box. Dresden’s stubbornness was rewarded and the eastern German side walked home with all three points.
"In the end, it was a deserved result. In the first half, we tried to take on Dresden’s attack and had some good transition moments. However, the last pass did not come. We made the wrong decisions in some situations, but we could have taken the lead. Overall, the result at the break was just. After the first half, we had the big chance for Sebastian Polter, which could have been a signal for the team. Afterwards, Dresden had more of the game and deserved to win," said Hofschneider.
Union Berlin return to the Alte Försterei on Friday December 15, finishing off the league action for the year with a visit from Ingolstadt.
East Duel: Dynamo Dresden and ex-coach head to Köpenick
Match preview
Eastern rivals Dynamo Dresden will make the 200km trip to Berlin for the penultimate league game of 2017 at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. After the personnel changes in the dugout this week, Andre Hofschneider will begin his second stint as head coach with a sell-out crowd in Köpenick.
Hofschneider, previous coach of the U19 side, is tasked with lifting Union out of a rut of three games without a win in the league. On the other side, Union will welcome back their most successful coach of all-time in Uwe Neuhaus, who has also worked alongside Hofschneider at the Alte Försterei.
The 47-year-old wore the red-and-white shirt as a professional player between 1988 and 1994, and served as an assistant coach for over 300 games. At the pre-match press conference, Hofschneider pointed out the emotional significance of the encounter. “That alone will bring out the extra percentages in order to survive in this game,” said the Union coach, who doesn’t expect any changes in the personnel on the treatment table.
Neuhaus’ side arrive in Köpenick full of confidence after two wins on the bounce against Fortuna Düsseldorf and Erzgebirge Aue, respectively. It’s a big challenge for new coach Hofschneider, who made it clear that his intention is to maintain this season’s solid home form.
“We aren’t guided by what Dresden is doing. We’re that confident,” he said. “We respect the good coach, the good system and good team – which is better than recent results show. But we’re playing at home and of course we are focused on winning this game.”
The local authorities have requested that all supporters arriving in Berlin observe the relevant fan information for the fixture. With the match already sold out, the box office in the home and away sections will not be open. All fans are advised to arrive in sufficient time for security checks with a high volume of traffic expected in-and-around the stadium grounds.
