Dresden's young reserves hold their nerve and send Bielefeld out

Thirty thousand two hundred and sixty-one. That is the number to keep. Not the four penalties that went in and the two that did not, not the 120 minutes, not the three times Dynamo Dresden struck the woodwork. Thirty thousand two hundred and sixty-one people filled the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion on the last night of October and watched a Bundesliga 2 side stand toe to toe with a Bundesliga club until the shootout decided it: Dresden 2, Arminia Bielefeld 2, and 4-2 on penalties to the hosts.

On paper it was lopsided. Dresden had 66 per cent of the ball and 17 shots; Bielefeld had 34 per cent and 17 shots of their own. The expected goals read 2.46 to 1.06, and Dresden hit the woodwork three times. This was not a smash-and-grab. It was a side from the second tier playing the better football and refusing to accept that the scoreboard should punish them for it.

Much of that came from two teenagers thrown in for the first time. Rolf Evers, 18, started as the defensive midfielder, and Nicky Baude, 17, started on the left wing. Around them, George Adjei was immense: 63 of 68 passes, eight tackles won, four interceptions, four key passes. Ben MacKenzie completed 69 of 71. Stephan Arlinghaus scored and ran at Bielefeld until he was replaced on 90 minutes. Dresden's bench emptied in the second half, Andrea Cocozza, Danny Gasch, Matthias Egger, Paul Himmelbauer and finally Markus Schmidt, and the tempo did not drop.

Bielefeld arrived with problems of their own making. Sergio Millán, Jorge Tur and Félix Fornés were all absent; Robert Łaźniowski was out with a twisted ankle. Sidy Guèye came in at right-back, John Bangura was pushed wide to the right of midfield, and Victor Cohen started up front and scored. Borna Vukovic, named player of the match, assisted one and made three key passes. Marcus Dlugaiczyk also assisted. But the left flank of Mohammed Al-Migrin and Alejandro Luna has been a difficult partnership, and Dresden worked it.

In the stands there was a face who knows both clubs. Borja Herrera, now of Dresden, spent twelve seasons at Bielefeld, 149 games and two trophies. He did not play a part in the shootout, but he knew what the night meant to the visiting supporters and what it meant to the home ones. He will have heard both.

Dresden's reward is the next round of the DFB-Pokal, and a night like this buys a club more than a place in a draw. It buys belief for Evers and Baude, proof for Adjei and MacKenzie, and a memory for the 30,261 who will tell it for years. Bielefeld go home to the Bundesliga with the cupset done to them, and with four regulars to get back.