Overview

• Dresden fell 0:1 at home to Bundesliga side Mainz in the DFB-Pokal first round.
• Jakob Lemmer had a 66th-minute penalty saved by Robin Zentner and later missed a clear late chance.
• Defender Lars Bünning urged that Lemmer not be singled out, and captain Stefan Kutschke posted that the team wins and loses together.
• Coaches and players moved quickly to defend Lemmer to pre-empt escalating fan frustration after the defeat.
• With strikers Christoph Daferner (hand fracture) and Vincent Vermeij (illness) out, coverage stressed wasted chances rather than defensive lapses, with attention turning to the upcoming league trip to Bielefeld.