STIFF TEST AS CAMPAIGN RESUMES AT DRESDEN
Wednesday, 24. January 2018, 16:41 Uhr
Bundesliga 2 returned to action after the winter break with four matches on Tuesday evening; another four follow this evening. Round 19 comes to end on Thursday when the Boys in Brown go up against Dynamo Dresden (2030 CET). A difficult opener for Markus Kauczinski's side, who are counting down the hours until their first competitive fixture of 2018.
Kauczinski's charges began their preparations for the remaining 16 league matches three-and-a-half weeks ago. Besides contesting three warm-up matches (1-3 against Wolfsburg, 1-0 against Tianjin Quanjian, and 1-1 against Bochum), the Boys in Brown have worked very hard in all areas in training to go into the second part of the campaign as well prepared as possible. "We've done enough training," said Kauczinski ahead of the trip to 11th-placed Dresden. "The players are up for it and are raring to go."
His team went into the winter break on a high after a 2-1 home win over VfL Bochum brought an eight-game winless run to an end and are delighted to be back in action again. In Dresden the Boys in Brown are up against strong opposition who, with an expected crowd of around 29,000, will have the backing of most of a packed house. "We're aware of what's in store for us but we're prepared for it," said Waldemar Sobota with a view to the traditionally raucous atmosphere at Dresden.
The Polish winger and his teammates go into the game determined to carry on where they left off before Christmas. Under new boss Kauczinski they picked up four points from the games against Duisburg (2-2) and Bochum (2-1) to extend the gap to the drop zone to five points. A result at Dresden would therefore give them a perfect platform for the rest of the season.
Kauczinski continues to be without Ryo Miyaichi (rehab after a cruciate tear), Marc Hornschuh (rehab due to a persistent back problem) and Christopher Buchtmann (osteitis pubis), who bagged a brace in a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture, the only time the two sides have finished all square in the second tier. The game also comes around too early for Philipp Ziereis, Mats Møller Dæhli and new recruit Thibaud Verlinden. Kauczinski can welcome back Aziz Bouhaddouz (suspended against Bochum), Christopher Avevor (sinusitis) and Luca Zander (groin), however.
Dresden coach Uwe Neuhaus, who says the Boys in Brown are a "tough nut to crack", will be without long-term absentees Sören Gonther and Pascal Testroet (both cruciate), captain Marco Hartmann (tight thigh muscle) and first-choice goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe (knee). Markus Schubert, 19, will deputise between the posts. The Saxony outfit will also be looking to build on some decent performances before the winter break which saw them register three wins in succession over Kaiserslautern (1-0), Düsseldorf (3-1) and Aue (4-0).
Dynamo made a mess of the dress rehearsal for tomorrow, however, going down 4-1 at home to Mlada Boleslav. The defeat highlighted a major weakness of the Saxony outfit, with the Czech first-division side scoring twice in the final quarter of an hour. In the league Dynamo have already conceded 14 times in the last 15 minutes, a statistic that leaves them in 11th place going into the game. If matches ended after 75 minutes rather than 90, they would sit second in the table.
Yet when referee Deniz Aytekin blows his whistle to start the proceedings on Thursday evening, previous results and statistics count for nothing. The only thing that matters for the Boys in Brown is that they do their utmost to start 2018 with a bang. That's what they have worked hard for and that's why they cannot wait to get going again.
Photo: Witters
