Before the meeting between Hertha BSC and Dresden in the Olympic Stadium, both coaches don’t want to know much about the hustle and bustle surrounding the game.
Facts about the game
- The Olympic Stadium is on Saturday (1 p.m., in the audio live stream on rbb24.de) sold out. A total of around 70,000 tickets went on sale, around 25,000 of which went to Dresden fans.
- Hertha BSC and Dynamo Dresden are playing in the same league for only the second time. In the 2012/13 season, the home team won 1-0.
- The last meeting to date took place almost six years ago to the day: on October 30, 2019, Hertha beat Dresden on penalties in the second round of the cup. At that time, around 30,000 Dynamo fans traveled along.
The sporting situation at SG Dynamo Dresden
Newly promoted Dynamo Dresden has only won one of the first ten games and is currently in 16th place with seven points – level on points with Bochum (17th) and bottom club Magdeburg.
“The table looks worse than what it actually is,” says Dynamo fan and podcaster Lukas Candledörfer in an interview with rbb|24. “Anyone who expected something different before the season didn’t give enough thought to the second division and the Dynamo squad. I said before the season that for us it would be about fighting for the relegation place or 15th place. And that’s exactly where we’re moving now.”
The first – and so far only – victory was “a while ago,” as Candledörfer admits. On August 24th, the SGD won 2-1 at Arminia Bielefeld.
“People don’t come for a beating, but to be entertained”
Tens of thousands of guest fans in the Olympic Stadium: Fan expert Harald Lange classifies the explosive duel between Hertha BSC and Dynamo Dresden. He is calm about the fact that another league game will kick off in Köpenick on the same day.more
Hertha should pay particular attention to these Dresden players
“I don’t even know if there is this one player at Dynamo,” says Dynamo expert Candledörfer.
“We obviously have Christoph Daferner up front with five goals this season,” who was responsible for a third of the 15 Dresden League goals so far. In addition, Niklas Hauptmann is “a support” in midfield. “He can’t be killed. He runs and runs and runs.”
The team itself is “very solidly built,” said the Dynamo fan. “But our weak point is the defense.” With 20 goals conceded, Dresden has the second weakest backline in the second Bundesliga (Fürth has already conceded 28 goals).
That moves the Dynamo fans
70,000 fans in the Olympic Stadium? “That sounds crazy,” says Lichterdörfer. This brings back memories of the cup duel in October 2019, when around 30,000 Dresden residents supported their team in Berlin.
Aside from sports, the Dynamo fan reports “quarrels in the club” and “a few camps” that are shooting at each other.” The background is the upcoming supervisory board elections. “Some of the focus on sports is lost because there is always a lot going on in this club,” says Candles Dörfer.
Why there is great potential for football conflict in Berlin on Saturday
For the first time ever, Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union have Bundesliga home games on the same day. This poses particular challenges for clubs, public transport, security services and the police on Saturday. The most important questions and answers.more
That’s what the coaches say
Stefan Leitl (Hertha BSC): “Every home game day should be something special for us. We’re looking forward to this game. For us, it’s about putting in a good performance and promoting the second division.”
Thomas Stamm (SG Dynamo Dresden): “It’s a privilege to have and enjoy such away games in the second division. […] The approach during the week was like previous weeks, zero nervousness. […] A win would be good for us to be able to have more games like this in the future.”
This is how Hertha could play
It is quite possible that Hertha coach Leitl compared to 3-0 home win over SV Elversberg in the DFB Cup on Tuesday makes one change or another. Vice-captain Leistner and Paul Seguin could rotate back into the starting lineup.
The possible starting eleven for the “Old Lady”: Ernst – Karbownik, M. Dardai, Leistner, Gechter – Eichhorn, Seguin – Reese, Cuisance, Krattenmacher – Grönning
The forecast
The opponent expert’s tip: “If you manage not to let the outside influence you too much at Dresden, I can imagine an explosive atmosphere with the 30,000 behind you and that it will be enough for your second win of the season,” says Dynamo fan Lukas Candledörfer. “It has to come at some point. There won’t be many goals. I haven’t seen Hertha quite as stable this season and that’s why I’m tipping for a 1-0 away win.”
Editor’s tip: Hertha is initially impressed by the scenery, but remains unbeaten in its fourth home game in a row: 1-1.
Broadcast: DER TAG in Berlin & Brandenburg, October 30, 2025, 6 p.m
