2. Bundesliga preview: Dynamo Dresden vs. Greuther Fürth

Dynamo Dresden will be looking to end their recent league struggles when they welcome Greuther Fürth on Friday evening, with Thomas Stamm’s side desperate for points as they look to climb away from the bottom of the 2. Bundesliga table.

The hosts head into the Matchday 11 encounter following a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Hannover 96 last weekend. Despite taking the lead through Nicolai Rapp, Dresden were unable to hold onto their advantage, with a second-half comeback leaving them bottom of the table on eight points.

Greuther Fürth, meanwhile, arrive in Saxony with renewed confidence after securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Holstein Kiel. Aaron Keller’s 87th-minute winner secured their third league victory of the campaign, moving Heiko Vogel’s side into ninth place with 12 points.

With just four points separating the two sides, Friday’s encounter presents an important opportunity for both teams to build some momentum heading into the next international break.

Dynamo Dresden

Dynamo Dresden have endured an inconsistent return to the second tier since promotion a few years ago and this season is no different, with two victories, two draws and six defeats from their opening ten league fixtures leaving them rooted to the foot of the table.

Stamm’s side have struggled particularly with defensive consistency, conceding 20 goals so far this season while finding the net on 12 occasions.

However, there have been encouraging signs in front of their home supporters. Dresden secured an impressive 2-0 derby victory over 1. FC Magdeburg before following that result with another 2-0 win against Schalke 04 in the DFB-Pokal.

Those performances will offer encouragement ahead of Friday’s encounter, particularly given Fürth’s own struggles for consistency this season.

The defeat against Hannover was nevertheless another frustrating setback. Dresden had looked capable of taking something from the encounter before Friedrich Müller’s dismissal allowed the hosts to take control, with the defender now unavailable for the visit of Fürth.

Stamm will therefore be demanding a response from his players, particularly in their defensive organisation and ability to maintain their intensity throughout the full 90 minutes.

Speaking ahead of the game, the Dynamo head coach acknowledged the quality of the opposition but insisted his side should approach the encounter with confidence.

“I expect a team that plays bravely with the ball and intensely against it. They resolve difficult situations with purpose. We need a really good performance, but we don’t need to hide at home.”

Stamm also stressed the importance of remaining positive, urging his players not to become frustrated if their early opportunities fail to find the back of the net.

Greuther Fürth

Greuther Fürth travel to Dresden looking to build on their recent victory over Holstein Kiel, which ended a frustrating run of results and provided a welcome boost for Vogel’s side.

The visitors have collected 12 points from their opening ten league fixtures, recording three victories, three draws and four defeats. Their 13 goals scored suggest they possess some attacking quality, although 16 goals conceded highlight an area that still requires improvement.

Fürth’s biggest challenge this season has arguably been finding consistency. Their victory over Eintracht Braunschweig was followed by a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Osnabrück, before they returned to winning ways against Kiel.

The late nature of their most recent victory should nevertheless provide some confidence, with Aaron Keller finding the net in the 87th minute to secure all three points.

Vogel will be hoping his side can now register consecutive league victories for the first time this season, although he is well aware of the difficulties associated with travelling to Dresden.

The Fürth head coach has called for a better balance between defensive organisation and attacking intent, particularly after his side struggled to create opportunities in recent outings.

“Good positioning in attack is always the foundation for creating scoring opportunities. We need to be more precise in that area than we have been in recent matches.” Vogel explained ahead of the encounter.

The visitors will also be keen to avoid a repeat of their previous trip to Dresden, when they suffered a 2-0 defeat in January.

With experienced attacking players such as the league’s joint top-scorer Felix Klaus alongside the creativity of Ole Pohlmann, Fürth will certainly possess the tools to trouble their hosts if they can find the right balance going forward.

Head-to-head record

Friday’s encounter will be the 19th competitive meeting between the two sides, with Greuther Fürth holding the historical advantage.

The visitors have recorded nine victories compared to Dynamo Dresden’s four, while the remaining five encounters have ended in draws.

However, Dresden will take encouragement from their most recent meeting, which took place at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion in January 2026.

Goals from Thomas Keller and Jakob Lemmer secured a convincing 2-0 victory for the hosts, marking the beginning of an important run of results in their battle to secure survival last season.

Interestingly, that victory was Fürth’s only defeat in their previous nine meetings with Dresden, with the Franken side recording five victories and three draws during that period.

Vogel’s men will therefore be hoping to reassert their historical dominance, while Dresden will be looking to repeat their January performance and secure another important home victory.

Team news

Dynamo Dresden have several important absentees to contend with ahead of Friday’s fixture, particularly in the defensive department.

Friedrich Müller is suspended following his red card against Hannover, while Brooklyn Ezeh is also unavailable due to suspension following his dismissal for the club’s Under-21 side.

Lars Bünning and Kenneth Schmidt remain sidelined with longer-term injuries, while Thomas Keller continues to be unavailable following his concussion.

Luca Herrmann has also joined the injury list after picking up an injury against Hannover.

For Greuther Fürth, Maxim Dal remains sidelined through injury, although Vogel should otherwise have a relatively settled squad available.

Predicted lineups

Dynamo Dresden (4-2-3-1): Grill; Sterner, Muhamedbegovic, Rapp, Rossipal; Wagner, Raschl; Bobzien, Hauptmann, Čović; Vermeij 

Greuther Fürth (4-2-3-1): Hellstern; Dehm, Heuer, Blank, Itter; Will, Bansé; Klaus, Pohlmann, Keller; Sillah