The first Ostderby of the season in the 2. Bundesliga ended in a 2-2 draw between hosts 1. FC Union Berlin and newly-promoted Dynamo Dresden.
Dresden, managed by former Union boss Uwe Neuhaus, took the lead early in the game thanks to Aias Aosman, with the home side missing the presence of former striker Bobby Wood up front.
However things improved for them in the second half, with two goals in eight minutes from Collin Quaner, however Dresden struck straight back with Andreas ‘Lumbi’ Lambertz squeezing the ball past Jakob Busk.
There would be no winner, which meant a first point for Jens Keller in his first home match in charge in the capital, and a second for Dresden following their opening weekend draw.
Neuhaus returns to Berlin
This was the 59th meeting between these two East German foes, and the seventh in the 2. Bundesliga, with the majority of their previous meetings in the DDR-Oberliga. It also saw a first return to the Alte Försterei for for Neuhaus, who had seven successful years in charge of Union between 2007 and 2014.
Both sides were looking for their first wins of the season after missing out in the opening weekend. Union were beaten 2-1 by VfL Bochum, with Damir Kreilach cancelling out Felix Bastians opener, before a winner from Tom Weilandt.
Dynamo were indebted to a goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time from frontman Pascal Testroet to secure a draw against last year's third-placed side 1. FC Nürnberg.
Union were forced into a change up front, with new striker Philipp Hosiner out with a torn groin muscle, giving a first start of the season to Quaner.
The guests also had to make one change from their opening game, with Giuliano Modica suffering a calf injury. Jannik Müller came in for him.
Aosman pounces for Dynamo
Both sides were content to pass it around in the first few minutes, but Dresden struck with the first meaningful attack of the game.
An acrobat touch in the box by Marco Hartmann gave the ball to Testroet. His shot was saved by Busk, but the Danish keeper didn’t hold it and Aosman scored with the rebound.
There was a question of whether Testroet was offside when the ball was played to him, although it was no more than an arm ahead of the nearest defender if he was.
Union weren’t looking too impressive, and were unable to do anything with a couple of well-placed Felix Kroos free-kicks. However then there were able to start applying more pressure, with Kenny Prince Redondo, Steven Skrzybski and Quaner all having strikes off target.
Both sides survive defensive lapses
They then had a major let off. Testroet made the most of a lazy touch in his own box by Quaner to take a shot on goal, and was unlucky to see the ball hit the post.
The hosts nearly then benefited from a mistake themselves, as Marvin Schwäbe spilled a straightforward take from Kristian Pedersen’s cross. Redondo responded and got round the grounded keeper, but he could only hit the side netting.
In truth Union were looked like a side that had worked more on keeping the ball then actually making the most of it. Skrzybski and Redondo were showing plenty of pace and skill between them, with no end product. They were clearly missing a goalscorer like Wood in the final third.
Three goals in eleven minutes bring game to life
The home side began to plug away again for an equaliser early in the second half, and they had appeals for a penalty turned down by Wolfgang Stark when Skrzybski’s shot was blocked by Florian Ballas, but replays seemed to suggest it hit his chest.
Then Union equalised. Some good play on the left allowed Skrzybski to cut into the box, to pass to Quaner. With keeper and defender close, he had a split second to strike the ball in, and that he managed to bring the game level.
That opened the floodgates. The man who scored just two times last season had that same amount in just eight minutes. Like Busk for the first goal, Schwäbe was unlucky, saving Fabian Schönheim’s header, but unable to get back to stop Quaner on the rebound.
Dresden were back level again inside three minutes. Lambertz was the recipient of a looping long ball from Hartmann, and with Busk coming out of his goal, he was able to come sliding in and slot it past him, although had a defender been closer he might have got there to stop.
Two sides forced to settle for a point
The game could have been set up for a grandstand finish, but it was not to be, although both sides did go in hunt of a possible winner. Lambertz and substitute Erich Berko showed endeavor going forward, but the latter shot over.
In the end both sides had to take a point each from the game, and will admit that it was probably a fair result.
Having gained draws against two of last season’s top six sides, Dresden have shown they are not out of place at this level following their promotion. Union looked good in patches, but Keller has to work to do before they are the finished article.