2. Bundesliga 2025/26 guide: In-depth team previews ahead of the new season
With the return of the Bundesliga still several weeks away, the spotlight for German football fans now shifts to the 2. Bundesliga, which kicks off its 2025/26 season this week.
The action begins on Friday night, as Schalke 04 and Hertha BSC face off in a mouth-watering clash to open Matchday 1. The rest of the fixtures will be played over the weekend, setting the stage for what promises to be another thrilling campaign.
Having been relegated from the top flight last season, VfL Bochum and Holstein Kiel will be eyeing an immediate return to the Bundesliga.
Meanwhile, newly-promoted sides Arminia Bielefeld and SG Dynamo Dresden will be eager to prove they belong at this level.
Below, you'll find season previews for every team in the 2. Bundesliga.
2. Bundesliga 2025/26 club previews:
Hertha BSC: Crucial season awaits Die Alte Dame
VfL Bochum: Hecking hopes to repay full backing
FC Schalke 04: A fourth 2. Bundesliga campaign in five years for Royal Blues
Preußen Münster: Die Adler eager to maintain 2. Bundesliga status
DSC Arminia Bielefeld: Kniat keen to take Pokal spirit into 2. Bundesliga campaign
SG Dynamo Dresden: Daunting challenge awaits after three-year hiatus
SV Elversberg: Stability the priority for new-look Saarland club
Greuther Fürth: Stability the key to success
1. FC Nürnberg: Der Club aim to build on last season’s positives
Hannover 96: Can we expect Die Roten to rise under Titz?
Fortuna Düsseldorf: Fortuna expect different outcome in Thioune’s fifth season
Karlsruher SC: Aiming higher after a strong end to last season
1. FC Magdeburg: A new era begins under Fiedler
SC Paderborn: Is Kettemann the right man to finish Kwasniok's project?
1. FC Kaiserslautern: Building on momentum
Eintracht Braunschweig: The Lions will play for survival once again
SV Darmstadt 98: Laying foundations for long-term progress the goal
Holstein Kiel: Die Störche plotting a return to the top flight
2. Bundesliga 2025/26 match previews:
FC Schalke 04 vs Hertha BSC preview: Mouthwatering curtain-raiser in the 2. Bundesliga
2. Bundesliga Saturday Konferenz: Bochum and Kiel start their campaigns on the road
