With the new Bundesliga season yet to commence, German top flight teams got the chance to test just how well they might be prepared for the new season’s curtain raisers as they slugged it out with the rest of the clubs from the lower divisions in the third round of the German Cup.
Dynamo Berlin hosted Schalke 04 at Sportpark and made sure to give The Royal Blues a run for their money even if Domenico Tedesco’s side ran out 2-0 winners as they advanced to the next stage.
It is however still a sorry sight, seeing Dynamo reduced to a fourth tier tiny club as against to when they dominated the East German Championship prior to the historic albeit figurative fall of the Berlin Wall leading to the unification of East and West Germany under its current name.
Now playing in front of a 14,000 capacity Park right there in the city of Berlin, The Wine Redsfrustrated Schalke for long spells before they got bailed out by two late goals from Ukrainian YevhenKonoplyanka.
Schalke had a bright start to the game as early chances came in quick successions and Guido Burgstaller was the worst culprit of missed chances. The brightest star in the first half was in the person of Mathias Steinborn who ended the half by forcing a particularly good save off Faehrmann’s gloves.
After the break though, Dynamo’s goalie Bernhard Hendl denied Goretzka from finding the net and not even a drive from Franco Di Santo could ease Gelsenkirchen’s frustration.
However, 12 minutes to the final whistle, Konoplyankalatched onto a through pass from Germany international Leon Goretzka and slid it beyond Dynamo’s goal line. The second came from an injury time counter attack which Konoplyanka once more finished off.