Holstein Kiel gave Dynamo Dresden an uneasy start to the new year. The 2:1 (1:1) home win for the "Storks" means the Saxons go into the new year bottom of the 2nd Bundesliga table. Kiel, on the other hand, jumped up to tenth place, at least until Sunday. Vincent Vermeij (12th minute) put the visitors ahead in front of the 15,034 spectators in the sold-out Holstein Stadium. Phil Harres (29) and Ivan Nekic (51) turned the game in the North Germans' favour.
Dresden began the game in a very defensive position, leaving the ball and the build-up play to the hosts. As a result, Kiel had more than 60 per cent possession in the early stages, while Dresden relied on quick counter-attacks.
Dresden's opening goal shocked Kiel
A tactic that quickly proved to be a recipe for success: The finish from Jakob Lemmer (11th), who had broken through, was cleared for a corner. However, the Saxons then took advantage of this resting ball with Vermeij's header to take the lead.
Kiel took a long time to digest the shock of going behind early. Steven Skrzybski initiated the equalizer with a robust ball recovery on the halfway line. Harres easily converted his clever cross from ten meters.
The hosts remained the more dominant team after the break. Nekic provided the reward. The central defender headed in a copy of Dresden's opening goal to make it 2:1 for the "Storks".
While Holstein then switched to administration mode, Dresden avoided taking any final risks. As a result, Kiel managed to hold on for the nine minutes of stoppage time. It was the first win for the team from Schleswig-Holstein after four consecutive games without a win. Dresden, on the other hand, conceded their third defeat in a row.
Copyright 2025, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
