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Union Berlin win 3-0 at home to Dynamo Dresden

Warm-up victory:

Sat, 17. July 2021
Union Berlin win 3-0 at home to Dynamo Dresden

Marcus Ingvartsen, Andreas Voglsammer and Robin Knoche got on the scoresheet as 1. FC Union Berlin enjoyed a 3-0 win over Dynamo Dresden at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

Urs Fischer's side put themselves to the test in pre-season and will be delighted with the outcome under the Berlin sun. The Dane Ingvartsen fired Union ahead after 37 minutes before Voglsammer made it two just as the first half was drawing to a close. From Ingvartsen's corner kick, Knoche headed home a third to secure victory.

While Union and 3278 supporters enjoyed live action inside the Alte Försterei, football was also put on the back burner. After the devastating floods in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rhineland-Pfalz, the club took the decision to donate all ticket monies to Aktion Deutschland Hilft. The group is collecting donations to support flood victims in the area and you can find more information on how you can help here.

1. FC Union Berlin: Luthe; Ryerson (Wszolek 45), Knoche (Abdullahi 61), Baumgartl (Jaeckel 45), Van Drongelen (Friedrich 45), Puchacz (Gießelmann 45); Khedira (Andrich 45), Öztunali (Haraguchi 45), Ingvartsen (Dehl 61); Voglsammer (Sanogo 61), Behrens (Endo 61)

Dynamo Dresden: Broll; Knipping, Stark, Sollbauer; Will, Herrmann (Akoto 65), Schröter (Borrello 45), Löwe (Stor 56), Königsdorffer (Vlachodimos 33); Mörschel (Söhm 56), Daferner (Aidonis 72)

1. FC Union Berlin welcomed supporters into the Alte Försterei once again – and this week with opposition. Dynamo Dresden, promoted from the 3.Liga to the 2.Bundesliga, provided a good test for Urs Fischer's side after the midweek 5-2 win over Viktoria Berlin at the Jahn-Sportpark. A week earlier, a proposed fixture against Dukla Prague turned into an internal squad match after the Czech side were unfortunately stopped in traffic. With seven new signings in the starting line-up, there was an opportunity for the squad to gel together in action. Union bombarded Dynamo's box with a flurry of corner kicks in the opening 15 minutes. Timo Baumgartl netted in midweek against Viktoria from a dead-ball situation, but wasn't able to kick-off the scoring on Saturday. Kevin Broll, Dynamo Dresden's goalkeeper, was put to a much sterner test in the 23rd minute, pulling off a fabulous save to deny Ingvartsen the opener after a fine cross from Levin Öztunali. The opposition reminded Union to stay switched on as Heinz Mörschel stepped inside and fired a dangerous shot over Andreas Luthe's crossbar from a good position. The difference in levels showed – when the visitors switched off this time, Fischer's team took full advantage. Ingvartsen drifted off the left-hand touchline, making an excellent run in behind Michael Sollbauer and then thumping the ball past Kevin Broll from a tight angle. Dresden almost responded from a corner kick of their own. A loose ball landed to Paul Will at the back-post and a rasping left-foot drive was eventually fumbled clear by the Union defensive unit. On the stroke of the break, a mistake in the Dresden rearguard allowed the Köpenick club to extend their lead. Kevin Broll and Paul Will got into some difficulties under pressure from the industrious Kevin Behrens, the ball dropping kindly to Andreas Voglsammer who smashed home his third in two matches.

Union returned with six changes at the break. Tymoteusz Puchacz was replaced at left-back by Niko Gießelmann who set up the opening goal at Viktoria Berlin on Wednesday. German U21 international Paul Jaeckel and Marvin Friedrich stepped into the centre-back roles in place of Ricky van Drongelen and Timo Baumgartl. Genki Haraguchi, Robert Andrich and Pawel Wszolek freshened up the middle and forward line in place of Julian Ryerson, Rani Khedira and Levin Öztunali. Union added a third – putting away one of the numerous set-piece opportunities presented in the opening 50 minutes. Ingvartsen's delivery was on point and Knoche made no mistake from around seven yards out. Substitutes Gießelmann and Andrich combined down the left to open up a chance for Voglsammer on 58 minutes but Broll got down quickly to make the save. That was Voglsammer's last big action of the game as the striker was replaced – off went the goalscorer, Behrens, Ingvartsen and Knoche; replaced by Malick Sanogo, Laurenz Dehl, Keita Endo and Suleiman Abdullahi. On 75 minutes, Alexander Schmidt's side should have pulled one back. Union were left out of position on the break, the ball travelling across the box to substitute Luka Stor but the striker missed the pass to Vlachodimos who would have finished into a near empty net.

1. FC Union Berlin will head to Austria for the second training camp of pre-season ahead of the Bundesliga restart in August. Union will meet French Ligue 1 side OGC Nice in Tirol on July 24 with one additional friendly match still to be announced by the club. More information will be announced when the details are confirmed. On July 31, 1. FC Union Berlin will play again at the Alte Försterei when Athletic Bilbao are the visitors from Spain.