2. Bundesliga Friday Konferenz preview: Team news and predicted lineups | OneFootball

Hertha BSC vs. Eintracht Braunschweig

Hertha enter match day 13 in excellent form on the back of three straight wins. They sit 8th in the table, only three points off the promotion places, and have done an admirable job recovering from a shaky start to the season.

Before the break, Die Alte Dame ground out a gritty 1-0away win in Kaiserslautern. Former FCK academy player Luca Schuler scored the winner, putting a dampener on the hosts’ anniversary celebrations. Despite having only 38% possession, Hertha defended with discipline and intensity, showing the same resolve that has driven their recent rise up the table.

Braunschweig, by contrast, are in free fall. After winning their first two matches under Heiner Backhaus, they have managed only one victory in the following ten games. That run has dragged them down to 16th place with ten points, leaving them just three points above the automatic relegation zone.

Their struggles continued before the break with a 2-0 home defeat to fellow early strugglers Bochum. It was another uninspired attacking display from Die Löwen, who failed to score at home for the second match running.

History also leans heavily in Hertha’s favour. They won both meetings last season (3-1 and 5-1) and have not lost to Braunschweig since 2022. The visitors carry an unwanted curse into this fixture, having not won in Berlin since 1988.

Team news: 

Hertha BSC: Kennet Eichhorn is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards. Leon Jensen and John Brooks remain sidelined through injury. Dawid Kownacki has returned to training but is not expected to be involved.

Eintracht Braunschweig: Erencan Yardımcı is still suspended. Fredrik Jäkel and Lino Tempelmann are unavailable due to injury.

Predicted lineups: 

Hertha BSC (4-2-3-1): Ernst (GK) - Gechter, Leistner, Dardai, Karbownik - Demme, Seguin - Winkler, Cuisance, Reese - Schuler 

Eintracht Braunschweig (3-3-2-2): Hoffmann (GK) - Ehlers, Köhler, Frenkert - Aydin, Flick, Di Michele Sanchez - Heußer, Marie - Sané, Conteh 

VfL Bochum vs. Dynamo Dresden

Bochum have undergone a welcome revival since Uwe Rösler’s appointment, going unbeaten across four league matches and winning three of them. They have climbed out of the bottom three and now sit 13th on 13 points, restoring some stability after a turbulent start.

In their final game before the break, Rösler’s side earned a professional 2-0 win away to Braunschweig, securing a third straight clean sheet in all competitions.

Dresden, meanwhile, approach match day 13 in serious trouble. They have gone nine games without a win and sit 17th with only one victory from twelve matches. Thomas Stamm’s squad must begin collecting points soon or risk seeing the gap to safety widen beyond reach.

Their most recent outing was a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to a Nürnberg side that has struggled for consistency this season. Dresden looked predictable going forward and managed just one shot on target, extending their winless home run.

The clubs last met in 2020, when Bochum came out on top. Dresden have not won away in Bochum since 2018, and with both coaches facing each other for the first time, Friday’s meeting promises fresh intrigue.

Team news: 

VfL Bochum: Leandro Morgalla is suspended. Matus Bero, Ibrahima Sissoko and Kevin Vogt are all unavailable through injury.

Dynamo Dresden: Sascha Risch, Vinko Šapina, Tony Menzel and Jacob Zickler are all sidelined. 

Predicted lineups: 

VfL Bochum (4-2-3-1): Horn - Passlack, Loosli, Strompf, Wittek - Lenz, Pannewig - Miyoshi, Wätjen, Holtmann - Onyeka 

Dynamo Dresden (4-2-3-1): Grill - Faber, Boeder, Pauli, Rossipal - Amoako, Hauptmann - Kother, Daferner, Fröling - Vermeij