Tension in Dresden: Can Fear Overcome Self-Confidence?

Dynamo Dresden vs. 1. FC Magdeburg. Crisis vs. success. Fear vs. confidence. The showdown between these two longtime rivals is electrifying the soccer world in eastern Germany. Although the two clubs’ stadiums are about 230 kilometers apart by car, people still call it a derby. And since Sunday’s match (1:30 p.m./Sky) will be the 80th in history, it’s also known as the Elbe Clásico.

Well, this matchup doesn’t quite measure up to clashes like Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund vs. Schalke 04. However, there’s always a certain intensity to it. Even back in the GDR era, this matchup was a heated affair. Not least because of the “Golden Seventies,” when the two teams essentially took turns winning the GDR championship and usually produced the cup winner as well.

Security forces on high alert

There was no rivalry between fans in the traditional sense back then; that only developed after the fall of the Berlin Wall. And it continues to lead to massive police operations time and again. Last season’s match in Magdeburg is still a bad memory, when local fans clashed with police behind the stands—an incident that continues to occupy the courts to this day.

Such incidents must be avoided at all costs on Sunday. Security authorities are on high alert. The focus should be on the game itself, which is already sure to generate excitement and tension. After all, the third-to-last team in the 2. Bundesliga standings is facing the fourth-place team.

Dresden is battling its own fear

Before the season, Dynamo was expected to be exactly where FCM stands now. But so far, just one win has left Dresden in this precarious position in the standings. Many have now identified the cause: The Saxons lack the courage to hold onto a lead. The courage to play offensively instead of retreating deep into their own half with everything they’ve got—usually for the entire second half. Coach Thomas Stamm’s team is practically begging for goals against them. Dynamo has already let ten points slip away after taking the lead. Consequently, they lack self-confidence.

Magdeburg, on the other hand, has plenty of that right now. After a 1–6 opening-day loss to Braunschweig, they haven’t lost since. Coach Petrik Sander has given his team a new direction, and it’s paying off. While the FCM still played the aggressive, risk-taking attacking soccer characteristic of Christian Titz for much of last season, Magdeburg now much less frequently tries to force its way through. They create chances with patience and sometimes play the ball around from the back. 

Magdeburg Increasingly Unpredictable

On top of that, Magdeburg’s midfield setup—with either a defensive midfielder and two attacking midfielders or vice versa—is working better and better, making their already excellent offense even more dangerous. 

In this one game with a derby feel, however, all that is water under the bridge. At least that’s what the Dresden team is hoping for; for them, after a botched start, this match will be the “Game of the Year.” And who wants to lose that?