Despite a strong 45-minute performance: Dynamo suffers a crushing defeat in Heidenheim

This game will be remembered for a long time at Dynamo Dresden. They were clearly the better team for 45 minutes, but then were overwhelmed by 1. FC Heidenheim’s offensive onslaught and lost 3–5 (1–0). What good were the goals by Vincent Vermeij (30'), Robert Wagner (73'), and Jonas Sterner (90'+7) if they had to concede five goals in the second half?

The tragic figures were Heidenheim returnee Thomas Keller, who was sent off in the 69th minute after receiving a second yellow card, and his fellow center back Friedrich Müller, who scored an unfortunate own goal.

“We have to look for the mistakes within our own team. After the own goal, the game took on a certain momentum. We weren’t able to wear Heidenheim down over five or six minutes. And in the end, every shot seemed to go in,” said Dynamo coach Thomas Stamm on “Sky.”

Dresden Without Rapp and Daferner

Dresden had to do without Nicolaj Rapp and Christoph Daferner. Rapp was ruled out at the last minute due to Achilles tendon issues, while Daferner is on antibiotics following a tick bite.

Facing a 1. FC Heidenheim side that had made seven lineup changes following a poor start to the season—including an early cup exit against Regionalliga club Jeddeloh II—the Saxons controlled the game from the start. In the first half, the visitors dominated, enjoying up to 80 percent possession at times, but without creating many meaningful scoring chances. 

Dynamo’s lead makes the game more interesting

From the 30th minute onward, after Dynamo took the lead, the game changed; suddenly there were chances on both sides. Vermeij’s header off a Sterner corner initially whetted Dresden’s appetite for more goals. Kaan Inanoglu (33’) saw his flying header denied by a spectacular save from FCH’s new goalkeeper, Thomas Dähne, Ben Bobzien (36’) narrowly missed the goal, and Hauptmann (40’) also found his match in Dähne from a promising position.

But the hosts weren’t entirely harmless either. Tim Schreiber (35') made a strong save against Luca Kerber, who had broken through, and was also on his toes to stop a dangerous low shot by Budu Zvivzivadze (45').

A point of criticism for Dynamo: their inability to convert chances. And: the play took place almost exclusively down the strong left flank. Since Inanoglu kept cutting inside from the right flank, his crosses were largely left unchallenged.

Heidenheim came out strong after the break

After the break, Vermeij (48th) was initially denied by Michael Heule, who blocked his shot. This was followed by a seemingly endless flurry of attacks from the hosts, during which Schreiber in particular was able to showcase his skills. The Dresden goalkeeper reacted with lightning-fast reflexes, especially to a shot by Marcel Costly (50th minute). The Dynamo defense came under heavy pressure. The regulars were barely able to relieve the pressure and, unsurprisingly, conceded the equalizer to Jan Schöppner (67').

It speaks to Dresden’s morale that they weren’t fazed by either the goal they conceded or the yellow card shown to former Heidenheim player Keller (69th minute), and instead sought their salvation by pushing forward. After a beautiful solo run by Bobzien and a spirited follow-up by Jonas Oehmichen, Wagner fired the ball into the corner to take the lead. But that lead lasted only four minutes, because Müller, in a last-ditch attempt to clear the ball, unluckily deflected it off his lower leg, and the ball ricocheted off Schreiber into his own net. From then on, it was all Heidenheim; Dynamo stumbled toward defeat, which was sealed by Oualid Mhamdi (87th minute), Julian Niehues (90th minute), and Maximilian Breunig (90+2). Sterner’s goal was merely a consolation.