As Jacques Zoua slotted home on 16 minutes, cheers echoed around the hollow, half empty Fritz-Walter-Stadion as 1. FC Kaiserslautern romped to victory on a paradoxical evening in South-West Germany.
In a stadium that holds just short of 50,000 people, just 19,606 turned up to watch the Red Devils' best performance of the season so far as they downed Dynamo Dresden 3-0.
A flowing, attacking display, Kaiserslautern came out of the blocks with real purpose in a bid to register their first win of the season.
Whether it was the team thriving under the pressure created by poor form, keen to prove a point after a lacklustre start, or actually reduced pressure with a low attendance - the fact of the matter is that the Red Devils are off the mark.
Quick out of the blocks
From the off, Kaiserslautern attacked with pace and conviction, and were it not for an incredible piece of defending by Manuel Konrad, they would have been one up just past the 10 minute mark.
Alexander Ring raced through and squared unselfishly for Zoua, but his cool finish was cleared off the line by the Dynamo midfielder.
However, Zoua made this irrelevant five minutes later as he broke the deadlock in another of several exciting attacks by the hosts.
It was a blistering start and had Konrad not got in the way before and from Marvin Schäwbe not denied Zoltón Stieber with a great save earlier, it could have even been 3-0 at this point.
Dresden fortunate to only be one down - and not down to 10
Things could have, and really should have, got worse for Dresden just before half time. An off the ball incident saw Akaki Gogia violently raise his arms at Tim Heubach, then provoking a heated argument between the midfielder and goal-scorer Zoua.
Looking the other way when it happened, referee distributed yellow cards to the latter and Gogia, as Dynamo went in at the break one down but, more significantly, with 11 men still on the field.
Red Devils find their ruthless streak
The controversial incident would not go on to be more controversial though, as Kaiserslautern wouldn't let it affect the result.
Half time substitute Osayamen Osawe doubled their lead just six minutes into the second half, while Zoua headed in his second of the day before the hour mark in a ruthless start to the second period.
Dynamo hadn't played incredibly poorly, but Kaiserslautern were on fire.
Even at the other end, Julian Pollersbeck had gone 70 minutes untested, but he was on hand to make an outstanding save to tip Stefan Kutschke's header around the post as the visitors looked for a way back into the game.
Lukas Görtler came similarly close as he rose highest in the area at the opposite end of the park, but the post denied Kaiserslautern a fourth goal that they would have been worthy of.
In the end, it was only three, but it was an emphatic first victory for the Red Devils. With the fans sure to return after this display, the task now is to maintain some sort of form - good form, at that.