RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sources2. Bundesliga preview: 1. FC Nürnberg vs. Dynamo Dresden
Two traditional clubs with large and passionate fan bases will kick off their respective seasons on Sunday, with the atmosphere inside the Max-Morlock-Stadion expected to be electric as Nürnberg face Dynamo Dresden.
Miroslav Klose enters his third season in charge of Der Club, with promotion ambitions yet to come to fruition following 10th and eighth-place finishes in his first two campaigns. The former Germany international will be hoping this can finally be the season in which he guides Nürnberg back to the Bundesliga.
As with most clubs in the division, Nürnberg have seen several departures during the summer, with Fabio Gruber and Luka Lochoshvili among those to leave. However, the club have brought in eight new players to compensate for those losses.
Nürnberg also enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season, recording four wins and one draw. Strikers Piet Scobel and Mohamed Ali Zoma both impressed during the preparations, scoring four goals apiece across the five matches.
Klose is determined to ensure his side make a better start than they did last season:
“I don’t want a repeat of last year’s start to the season. That’s why my focus is solely on getting off to a good start. After that, we’ll take it one game at a time. We’ve seen often enough in the last two years what crazy things can happen in this league.”
Dresden, meanwhile, will begin their second consecutive 2. Bundesliga campaign following promotion in 2025. Their primary objective will be to avoid another long battle against relegation after securing their safety on the final day of last season with a 2-1 victory over Holstein Kiel.
One thing that can always be relied upon, regardless of what happens on the pitch, is the support of the Dresden faithful. Around 7,000 travelling supporters are expected to make the trip to Nürnberg on Sunday, ensuring a lively atmosphere inside the Max-Morlock-Stadion.
Aside from loan players returning to their parent clubs, Dresden have largely managed to retain the core of their squad over the summer while making some smart additions. Nicolai Rapp has arrived as a free agent, while Ben Bobzien, Thomas Keller, Jonas Sterner and Robert Wagner have all returned to the club on permanent deals following loan spells.
Head coach Thomas Stamm has insisted that his side are ready for the challenge ahead of the season opener:
“Nuremberg is a team whose strengths include intensity, courage, technique, pace, and passion. Our goal is to stay focused and bring our strengths to the pitch. We accept the challenge, are well prepared, and have worked hard in recent weeks to ensure we deliver a balanced performance.”
The two sides shared the spoils in terms of victories last season, with each team winning one of the two meetings away from home. Nürnberg have won three of the last five encounters between the sides.
Interestingly, the last time Nürnberg won their opening fixture of a season, Dynamo Dresden were the opponents, with Der Club prevailing seven years ago.
Team news
1. FC Nürnberg: Styopa Mkrtchyan has suffered a muscle injury, while Mikayil Faye and Andrea Ceresoli are still working their way back to full fitness. Otherwise, Klose has a fully available squad to choose from.
Dynamo Dresden: Kenneth Schmidt and Lars Bünning remain unavailable as they continue their rehabilitation. Lennart Grill and Tobias Raschl will also miss the trip to Franconia due to a lack of match fitness.
Predicted lineups
1. FC Nürnberg (4-4-2 diamond): Reichert (GK); Janisch, Kalogeropolous, Otto, Porstner; Markhiev; Fernandez, Becker; Justvan; Zoma, Scobel
Dynamo Dresden (4-3-3): Schreiber (GK); Sterner, Keller, F. Müller, Rossipal; Wagner, Rapp, Hauptmann; Inanoglu, Vermeij, Bobzien
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