East duel against "arch-enemy" Dresden: "If that doesn't grab you..."

Daniel Brinkmann is looking forward to his first big East German duel as coach of Hansa Rostock. Ahead of the sold-out home game against Dynamo Dresden (Saturday, 14:00/NDR and MagentaSport), the 39-year-old said: "That was the first game I looked up when it was taking place when I signed back then. It's a special game for the region, for me, for the players."

The following always applies to derbies: "Actually, you always wish the arch enemy - if you can say that without meaning any offense - the plague somewhere. But you're also sad when you don't have them in the league, because then you miss the games," said Brinkmann. "If the game doesn't grab you, you have to pack your bags and stop playing soccer."

The Rostockers, however, will go into the home game against the second-placed team in the table and promotion favorites with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. The recent 5-0 defeat at Waldhof Mannheim was the first major sporting setback since the long-serving second division professional came to Rostock as coach last November. Hansa have also had "various cases of illness in recent days, with some of the players back in training". Brinkmann named "Roßbach, Jonjic, Klewin, Hagemoser, Schuster".