SSV Ulm remains unbeaten in the tenth game in a row and remains at the top of the 3rd league table.
The newcomer earned the goalless draw at Dynamo Dresden after a passionate fight and continues on the promotion path towards the 2nd league. The spectators didn’t see any goals, but they did see an intense game and two dismissals for Ulm’s Rösch and Dresden’s Ehlers.
Great atmosphere and more than 30,000 fans in the Dresden Arena
SSV Ulm started with two changes to the starting lineup. Captain Johannes Reichert returned to central defense after his muscle injury, Philipp Strompf after his yellow card suspension. Geyer and Yarbrough had to go to the bench for this. Goosebumps feeling even before kick-off: More than 30,000 fans in the Dresden Arena provided an appropriate setting for the top game.
First big chance for Dresden after nine minutes
Ulm started early from the start, tried to nip Dresden’s build-up game in the bud and had the first opportunity to score after five minutes: After a left cross from Chessa, Philipp Strompf missed the lead with a header and then Felix Higl followed up. Four minutes later, during the hosts’ first pressure phase, Dynamo had their first great opportunity when, after a corner, center forward and goalscorer Stefan Kutschke put his header just past the right Ulm post. It was bitter for the Swabians that captain Reichert was injured again shortly afterwards (calf) and had to be replaced by Lamar Yarbrough after just 15 minutes.
In the intense game, Dresden successfully tried to apply more and more pressure and had good chances almost every minute. Niklas Hauptmann and Tom Zimmerschied were denied by Christian Ortag in the Ulm goal, and again Hauptmann – perfectly cleared by Zimmerschied – put the ball on the top edge of the crossbar (27′).
Ulms Rösch was sent off after 30 minutes
And things got even worse for the Ulm team in terms of personnel. Romario Rösch, who had already received a yellow card, picked up a yellow-red card in the 30th minute after a foul on Jakob Lemmer as he stormed past. So the Sparrows have one less man in the “cauldron” of Dresden. But Ulm held strong against it, defended its case around the strong Ortag passionately and with commitment. No way through for pursuers Dresden.
Red after the emergency brake for Dresden’s Ehlers shortly before the break
And shortly before the half-time whistle, the Saxons also decimated themselves: Kevin Ehlers pulled the emergency brake on Leonardo Scienza, grabbed the collar of the attacker who had slipped through and prevented a clear chance to score. Clear case for referee Patrick Ittrich, straight red for the Dresden defender. From now on, ten people from Dresden against ten people from Ulm. And immediately afterwards there were two great opportunities for Scienza with a free kick, which he was denied by keeper Broll, and Strompf with his header that went over the Dynamo goal.
It remained 0-0 after 45 minutes in a highly exciting and entertaining game.
No clear options initially in a 10 against 10 duel
In the second half, both teams initially took it a little easier in the 10 against 10 duel, avoiding mistakes was the order of the day, but there were initially no notable opportunities to score. A critical situation for the Ulm team after an hour when the massive Kutschke fell against Strompf in the penalty area, but referee Ittrich did not decide on a penalty but instead allowed the game to continue. Ulm, in turn, approached the Dresden goal twice, but Scienza’s shot went past the Dynamo goal (66th), and two minutes later Dennis Chessa’s shot was blocked by Hauptmann.
Even after 80 minutes the game was goalless. SSV coach Thomas Wörle brought in two fresh players with the double substitution of Thomas Kastanaras and Lukas Ahrend for Max Brandt and Leonardo Scienza. There was still a lot of fighting, a lot of effort, but few successful offensive actions. Lucky for the Ulm team when Philipp Strompf was just able to thwart substitute Jonas Oehmichen’s shot after his solo (83′).
Furious final phase
In the first minute of injury time, substitute Kastanaras had a great chance to put Ulm in the lead. The loanee from VfB Stuttgart put the ball past the goal. Then Dresden’s Kutschke missed the huge opportunity to make it 1-0 when he ran freely towards the Ulm goal after a bad pass from Tom Gaal, but shot past the right (90th + 3). Finally, the final artistic shot from Lennart Stoll, who had just been substituted, was worth seeing, as he volleyed a long ball from Kastanaras into the Dynamo penalty area onto the post from an acute angle.
After that it was over, both teams sank to the ground exhausted and exhausted, and the score remained 0-0 in the highly intense top game of the 30th matchday. The SSV remains unbeaten in the tenth game in a row and is at the top of the table ahead of Dresden after Regensburg’s defeat in Lübeck. After the international break, the Ulm team await FC Erzgebirge Aue at home in two weeks (March 30th/2:00 p.m.).