FC Ingolstadt is back in the promotion race in the 3rd division, while Dresden is facing its first crisis of the season after another bankruptcy.
Before the winter break, it seemed as if the only question in the 3rd division was when Jahn Regensburg and Dynamo Dresden would mathematically secure their promotion.
Their dominance was too great, their lead too big. But in recent weeks, Dynamo Dresden has been dropping more and more points. The 1-2 (0-2) loss at FC Ingolstadt on Sunday was already their third defeat in their last four games.
In 2024, things are hardly going well for Dresden. As a result, Dresden is now only five points ahead of SSV Ulm in third place. If Rot-Weiss Essen wins the postponed game at 1860 Munich on Tuesday, then it would be only four points ahead of the relegation place.
The current lack of self-confidence was also evident in Ingolstadt, where Dresden were already 2-0 down at half-time. Jannik Mause scored after just six minutes to put the home side 1-0 up, and they had already had to make two substitutions in the first half.
Among others, striker Pascal Testroet was injured, and was replaced by winter signing Sebastian Grønning. He celebrated a dream debut, scoring the 2-0 just five minutes after coming on. And Dresden? They actually played well, had a good spell before the 2-0 and were on the verge of pulling a goal back after the 2-0.
But FCI held on to a 2-0 lead at the break. After the break, you might expect an offensive from the Dynamo. But there was very little from the team of coach Markus Anfang. Ingolstadt had the better chances and didn’t give much away defensively.
It could have been 3-0 after 78 minutes, but Mause and Grønning missed great chances. Dresden stayed in the game and actually managed to get a goal. Robin Meißner scored eight minutes before the end to make it 1-2 from Dynamo’s point of view. And the FCI almost conceded the 2:2, because in the final minute it was Dresden’s winter addition Ahmet Arslan, who only just missed the equalizer.
FC Ingolstadt will continue next Sunday (4:30 p.m.) at TSV 1860 Munich. Dresden will play at home against VfB Lübeck on Saturday (2 p.m.).
FC Ingolstadt and Dynamo Dresden played as follows
Ingolstadt: Funk – Costly, Cvjetinovic, Lorenz, Seiffert – Deichmann (30. Keidel), Fröde – Kopacz (85. Dittgen), Mause (85. Kügel), Kanuric (46. Kayo) – Testroet (39. Grønning) – Coach: Köllner
Dresden: Broll – Kammerknecht, Lewald, Kraulich, Meier (46. Arslan) – Will (64. Meißner), Herrmann (81. Wonneberger), Hauptmann – Lemmer (64. Cueto), Kutschke, Zimmerschied (81. Borkowski) – Coach: Anfang
Goals: 1:0 Mause (6.), 2:0 Grønning (45.), 2:1 Meißner (82.)
Referee: Robert Kampka (Mainz)
spectators: 8,000