Saxony derby: It depends on psychological factors

Emotional and psychological factors will play a major role in the traditional Saxony derby. The two ex-professionals Sören Gonther and Marc Hensel agree on that. However, their opinions differ when it comes to the game-deciding situations for Sunday's third division clash between Erzgebirge Aue and Dynamo Dresden (4.30pm/Magentasport). While Gonther believes "that the first goal will set the tone and the team that has more possession will decide the game in the end", Hensel believes "that the game will be decided in the last ten minutes".

Gonther, who - depending on how you count - will be present at the 100th derby as an expert on MagentaSport as a former Aue and Dynamo player, sees Dynamo "basically as the strongest team in the league. They did have a weak phase recently, but not because they didn't have any chances to score". However, both he and former Aue and Dresden player and coach Hensel believe that the league position hardly plays a role in a game like this. "It's about form on the day. It's almost like a cup game. Death or gladioli is what Louis van Gaal used to say," predicted Gonther.

Aue have been unbeaten for three games. Dynamo have recently had a short period of weakness, but bounced back impressively with a 7-2 win against Lübeck.

Individual strengths will also be important on Sunday. "Martin Männel will be a factor. At Dynamo, it will mainly be Stefan Kutschke on an emotional level and in terms of play, it will be the eights - Hauptmann and, if he plays, Arslan too. In addition, Aue will certainly have Stefaniak, who will start the game a little over-motivated," explained Gonther. Gonther sees the fact that Niko Vukancic will play after breaking his collarbone in the game against Halle last Sunday (2:1) as a "weakening of the team".

The 37-year-old Gonther played for Dynamo Dresden from 2017 to 2019 and in the Erzgebirge from 2019 to 2022. There he was a player under Hensel, who began his career in Dynamo's youth department before joining the Veilchen first as a player in 2008 and then as a coach in 2017. Both are more than just experts when it comes to the derby. For Hensel, the duel was always "the most special game of the season". When asked how to prepare for such an emotional game as a team, Gonther said it always helped him "if we prepared as normally as possible."