Dresden rallies to beat Union Berlin 2-1 in pre-season friendly, extending Union's winless run to five games

Match summary

Bundesliga side 1. FC Union Berlin took an early lead but couldn't hold it as Dynamo Dresden came from behind to win 2-1 in a pre-season friendly on Friday. The match, played before 25,022 spectators at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, served as Dresden's official season opener for the upcoming 2. Bundesliga campaign.

Tom Rothe put the visitors ahead in the 19th minute, but Niklas Hauptmann levelled the score three minutes later for the hosts. Vincent Vermeij then struck the decisive goal in the 52nd minute, completing the turnaround.

Union's struggles

Defeat extended Union Berlin's winless run in pre-season to five matches. The side, coached by Mauro Lustrinelli, has not recorded a victory in any of its summer friendlies so far. In this encounter, Lustrinelli fielded a starting lineup that played for approximately 70 minutes before he substituted all ten outfield players at once. The Swiss coach indicated that the reverse pattern would apply in Union's next test match on Sunday against Italian club Cagliari Calcio.

Injuries hit Union squad

Union's preparations have been hampered by a series of absences. The team travelled to Dresden without a number of injured or ill players, including first-choice goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow, backup Matheo Raab, defenders Stanley Nsoki and Robert Skov, and attackers Tim Skarke, Oliver Burke, Andrej Ilic, and Andrik Markgraf.

Looking ahead

Dresden's victory gives them momentum ahead of their 2. Bundesliga opener on 9 August (13:30) away at 1. FC Nürnberg. For Union, the competitive season begins later: they face Eintracht Braunschweig in the DFB-Pokal first round on 23 August, leaving three more weeks of training and friendlies, including the upcoming match against Cagliari.