Before Hertha against Dresden - police report quiet start

Ahead of the second division match between Hertha BSC and the visitors from Dynamo Dresden, things remained peaceful this morning according to the Berlin police. "Everything is calm so far," said a police spokeswoman. "The operation has been running since seven o'clock."

The Hertha fans gathered on Olympischer Platz. Around 600 visiting fans from Dresden had gathered in Jesse-Owens-Allee in the Olympiapark in the west of Berlin to march together to the Olympic Stadium.

The Berlin police are also receiving support from other federal states such as Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Baden-Württemberg, said the spokeswoman. No incidents have been recorded so far.

Kick-off is in the early afternoon

The Hertha BSC v Dynamo Dresden match kicks off at 1pm. Hertha fans and supporters of the club from the Saxon state capital have a long history of rivalry.

Later in the afternoon, 1. FC Union Berlin (from 3.30pm) will take on SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei. Normally, the German Football League does not schedule home games of the capital's clubs on the same day.

However, since games are not allowed on All Saints' Day in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, an exception is made for logistical reasons. In total, more than 1,000 police officers will be deployed in Berlin this Saturday.