2. Bundesliga Friday preview

Greuther Fürth vs. Hertha BSC 

Fürth have spent much of the season fighting near the relegation places under Thomas Kleine, winning just four of their opening 15 matches. But there is renewed optimism at the Sportpark Ronhof after the arrival of Heiko Vogel.

His debut proved a baptism of fire: a fiery Franken derby away at Nürnberg. Yet Vogel’s side rose to the occasion, showing grit and belief to twice come from behind in an eventual 2-2 draw. They were even unlucky not to claim all three points late on, with Nürnberg keeper Jan Reichert denying them at the death. With a strong derby performance behind them, Fürth now approach another crucial fixture with confidence - knowing that points are vital at this stage.

Hertha, meanwhile, have been one of Germany’s form teams for weeks, putting together a run of seven unbeaten in all competitions without conceding in the first six of those matches. Stefan Leitl’s side have climbed to seventh, but last weekend they missed the chance to close the gap to the top further.

Their slip came against bottom-placed Magdeburg, who stunned the home crowd with a disciplined performance and left with a priceless 2-0 win. It ended Hertha’s fine run, and while such streaks eventually run their course, Leitl and his players will be frustrated by the manner of the defeat. Friday now offers a chance to respond and re-establish their promotion credentials.

Leitl is expecting a demanding evening in Fürth: 

“We are preparing for a disciplined and very experienced opponent. Their game plan is clear, they need points - accordingly, they will show up that way. It will be a big challenge. We need to keep a closer eye on the players who deliver the second-to-last pass and control those guys like Hrgota, Klaus, and Green from deep - those are the key factors.” 

The fixture pits Leitl against his former club, whom he led to Bundesliga promotion in 2021. In 10 meetings with Fürth, he has lost only once. Hertha also hold the edge in recent clashes, winning three of the last five, while Fürth have never won at the Olympiastadion.

Team news: 

Fürth: David Abrangao, Sacha Bansé, Noah König, Brynjar Ingi Bjarnason and Marco John are set to miss out. 

Hertha: Leon Jensen and John Anthony Brooks remain unavailable. 

Predicted lineups: 

Fürth (3-4-2-1): Schlieck (GK) - Münz, Ziereis, Itter - Dehm, Green, Dietz, Keller - Hrgota, Klaus - Futkeu 

Hertha (4-2-3-1): Ernst (GK) - Gechter, Leistner, Dardai, Zeefuik - Seguin, Eichhorn - Reese, Cuisance, Winkler - Kownacki 

Dynamo Dresden vs. Eintracht Braunschweig 

A sold-out Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion awaits Dynamo Dresden, who enter the round in 17th place. After a rocky start to life back in the second tier - just one win in their first 12 matches - Thomas Stamm’s side have steadied themselves with two victories in their last three to close the gap to those above them.

Their momentum stalled last week with a 3-1 defeat in Kaiserslautern. Dresden rarely threatened until Jakob Lemmer’s spectacular late strike, and in truth it took 75 minutes for Stamm’s side to show signs of life - something that will concern the coach.

Still, Stamm has refused to let panic set in regarding their position in the league table: 

“It's not important to me whether we're above or below the relegation zone at Christmas. If I had my choice, I'd prefer six points from the next two games, because that gives the team courage and confidence and shows that we're on the right track. That can help us in the second half of the season.” 

Braunschweig arrive in similarly precarious territory, one of several clubs caught in the tight scrap at the bottom. With just one win from their last six, they sit 14th - only a point above last place - underlining the tension engulfing the lower end of the table.

They come into the match following a 1-1 home draw against fellow strugglers Kiel, with Mehmet Aydin’s penalty getting the home side on the board first. It felt like a frustrating result for Heiner Backhaus’s team, who created the better chances despite seeing less of the ball and significantly outperformed Kiel on xG. They will view it as two points dropped.

This will be the 21st competitive meeting between the sides. Dresden have won five times, Braunschweig seven, with eight draws. Their last encounter came more than seven years ago, ending in a 1-1 draw in Braunschweig.

Team news: 

Dresden: Sascha Risch, Jakob Zickler, Jan-Hendrik Marx, Lennart Grill and Tony Menzel are ruled out. Niklas Hauptmann and Christoph Daferner are doubts.

Braunschweig: Lukas Frenkert misses out due to suspension, while the availability of Fabio Di Michele Sanchez, Sven Köhler and Leon Bell Bell remains uncertain. 

Predicted lineups: 

Dresden (3-4-2-1): Schreiber (GK) - Pauli, Boeder, Müller - Faber, Šapina, Herrmann, Rossipal - Lemmer, Fröling - Vermeij 

Braunschweig (3-4-2-1): Hoffmann (GK) - Ehlers, Nkoa, Breunig - Gomez, Marie, Raebiger, Aydin - Heußer, Conteh - Yardımcı