Narrow defeat

After four training sessions at the training camp in Grassau, on Wednesday evening, the VfB players had their second test friendly of the pre-season preparations on the schedule. In Heimstetten, near Munich, a crowd of 1,088 spectators saw coach Hannes Wolf’s men take on second division SG Dynamo Dresden. The Cannstatt Boys were without Timo Baumgartl (sore throat), Josip Brekalo (blow to the thigh), Orel Mangala (slight ankle problem) and Benjamin Pavard (slight knee problem) for the match.

The side in the shirts with the infamous red hoop got off to a good start and, with just nine minutes on the clock, VfB debutant Chadrac Akolo delivered a cross from the left and found Daniel Ginczek powering through in the centre to head the Cannstatt Boys into the lead. It was an advantage which the Bundesliga side took into the break. To begin the second period, coach Hannes Wolf sent out nine sets of fresh legs (see ‘The VfB line-up’), including two further VfB debutants in Ron-Robert Zieler and Dzenis Burnic. Unfortunately for the Wasenelf, the second-period of the game didn’t go quite according to their plan. First Dresden levelled the scores through former VfB man Philip Heise with a shot from distance (52'), before substitute Lucas Röser made it 2-1 for Dynamo (64'). The score-line was to remain at the final whistle.

Hannes Wolf on the match: "In the first-half today, we were decidedly better than in the first test friendly of our pre-season preparations. We struggled more in the second-half, had a lot of young players on the pitch and also had a strong wind to deal with. On the whole, we are further along than in the game against Stuttgarter Kickers. We are naturally lacking the necessary stability in many processes, but that’s totally normal at this point in time."