2nd Bundesliga in check: Lautern comes with power and world champion

2nd Bundesliga in check
Lautern comes with power and world champion

7/15/2022 3:02 p.m

The 2nd Bundesliga starts the new season this Friday. At the start, newly promoted 1. FC Kaiserslautern Hannover 96 receives a duel between the traditional clubs. Even before the first kick-off, we look at the strengths and weaknesses of the 18 clubs.

The 2nd Bundesliga starts the new season this Friday. At the start, promoted FC Kaiserslautern welcomes the Lower Saxony opponents Hannover 96 to a duel between the traditional clubs (8.30 p.m. on Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker). Before the first kick-off, we look at the strengths and weaknesses of the 18 clubs in two parts.

Fortuna Dusseldorf

Strengthen: Dusseldorf builds on the Thioune effect: After taking office, there was only one defeat in 13 second half games under new coach Daniel Thioune. Fortuna stole the points from numerous aspirants for promotion. The team wants to take this momentum into the new season.
Weaknesses: A certain euphoria can be felt on the Rhine, and many expect the positive trend to continue under Thioune. If there is no success, it will quickly become restless in Düsseldorf – and that can jeopardize long-term goals. It is still too early for concrete goals for the season, says sporting director Christian Weber. Too much could happen on the transfer market in the next few weeks. The move from Khaled Narey to the Greek first division club Paok Saloniki is nearing completion for the Düsseldorf team.

Hannover 96

Strengthen: Coach Stefan Leitl is probably the most illustrious name on the list of numerous newcomers. The ex-coach of Bundesliga relegated SpVgg Greuther Fürth builds on team unity and brings a breath of fresh air to Lower Saxony. There were also eleven new players, some of whom were well-known. Leitl brought the former Braunschweiger Havard Nielsen with him from Fürth. Austrian Louis Schaub, signed by 1. FC Köln, has a very special connection to Hannover because his father Fred Schaub also played for the club from 1983 to 1986.
Weaknesses: 96 was unable to compensate for the departure of top scorer Marvin Ducksch last season. Will Nielsen solve the problems now? With their own yield of only 35 goals, only the relegated Ingolstadt, Aue and Dresden were less successful.

Karlsruhe SC

Strengthen: In Christian Eichner, a role model sits on the coaching bench. After narrowly staying up in 2020, the 39-year-old has stabilized the club in the safe middle of the table over the past two years. The KSC played a season without relegation worries – despite low budgets.
Weaknesses: Top scorer Philipp Hofmann leaves a big gap after moving to VfL Bochum. In addition, KSC have recently suffered bad luck with injuries in defence: Daniel O’Shaughnessy suffered a broken fibula and Felix Irorere torn a muscle fibre. Central defender Christoph Kobald is still suffering from a ligament injury, and the return of regular keeper Marius Gersbeck is not in sight.

Hansa Rostock

Strengthen: As a promoted team, Hansa presented themselves strongly away from home last season. Highlight: the 4:3 win over Schalke. The climber was only in danger of relegation for a short time, showed morale in pressure situations – like in the 4-1 derby victory at Dynamo Dresden.
Weaknesses: Only 17 points in the local Ostseestadion – a meager yield that leaves room for improvement. In Hanno Behrens, Rostock also loses a leading player who has proven himself in the second division.

SV Sandhausen

Strengthen: Every year the SVS manages to make a lot out of very little. Small town, small budget and still a constant in the Bundesliga lower house for ten years.
Weaknesses: Since joining the second division in 2012, it has never been enough for a single-digit place in the table – gray mediocrity.

Jan Regensburg

Strengthen: In 2016, the SSV was still playing in the regional league. Since promotion to the second division in 2017, Jahn has always scored the necessary points early on to avoid falling into relegation trouble.
Weaknesses: In Max Besuschkow, Tom Baack, Christoph Moritz, Sarpreet Singh and Carlo Boukhalfa, the club lost several midfielders in the summer. Replacement is required.

1 FC Magdeburg

Strengthen: From relegation candidates to third division champions with early pressing, quick switching games and the best offensive – Magdeburg has undergone an impressive change under coach Christian Titz since February 2021. If consistency is maintained and the team around the outstanding Baris Atik continues the performance of the previous season, staying up in the league is not unrealistic.
Weaknesses: The summer brought many newcomers and even more departures. The preparation showed that the squad, which has been thrown through, still needs some time to get used to it.

Eintracht Braunschweig

Strengthen: The recipe for success from the previous season: Braunschweig was almost equally good at home (30) and away (34), had the third-best offense (61) and second-best defense (36). Virtues that are not only necessary for promotion, but also for staying up.

Weaknesses: There was no personnel rochade like in the previous year, the promotion heroes were kept. Nevertheless, the squad reveals construction sites: whether in central defence, on the left wing or in the center forward position – there is still potential for action.

1 FC Kaiserslautern

Strengthen: After four years in the third division, the euphoria in the Palatinate is huge. The traditional club has great appeal, the promotion squad has been meticulously strengthened. With the transfer coups Erik Durm and Andreas Luthe, two executives with Bundesliga experience are joining the team.
Weaknesses: If the start of the season fails, the mood on the Betzenberg can quickly change. In recent years, the coach’s chair wobbled relatively often.