2. Bundesliga Saturday Preview: Team news and predicted lineups

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·19 December 2025

2. Bundesliga Saturday Preview: Team news and predicted lineups

The bottom four clubs will be in action on Saturday in 2. Bundesliga as the league play its last matchday before the winter break.

VfL Bochum vs. SC Karlsruher

The two teams have no chance of climbing to the top seven, but they could be dragged to 12th if results don’t go their way. The visitors start the matchday in eighth place with a single point advantage over their guests.

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After five successive draws in head-to-head fixtures, both of them won this fixture away from home last season. Bochum kept three clean sheets in a row under Uwe Rösler, while Karlsruher lost each of their last five games.

Team News

Bochum’s captain Mateus Bero suffered another injury in his first start since matchday ten. Fabian Schleusener and Marcel Franke will not travel with Karlsruhe’s squad because of red cards in the 4-0 defeat to Hannover.

Predicted Lineups

Bochum: Horn ©; Morgalla, Loosli, Strompf, Wittek; Lenz, Pannewig; Miyoshi, Onyeka, Wätjen; Hofmann

Karlsruhe: Bernat; Jung, Kobald, Beifus, Herold; Rapp, Burnic; Pinto Pedrosa, Wanitzek ©; Simic, Opitz

Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. SpVgg Greuther Fürth

This tie also saw the away team come out victorious in last season’s meetups. The points tally of the two teams failed to even match the number of games so far this term. Both clubs could only manage one win in the last five matchdays.

Düsseldorf dropped to 17th place after defeats to league leaders Schalke and Elversberg. Fürth showed spirit in entertaining draws against Nürnberg and Hertha, but they’re only a couple of points clear of the bottom place.

Team News

Felix Klause will not return to Düsseldorf due to accumulated yellow cards. At the other end, Markus Anfang will have center-back Tim Oberdorf back from suspension.

Predicted Lineups

Düsseldorf: Kastenmeier ©; Oberdorf, Egouli, Daland; Iyoha, Schmidt; El Azzouzi, Suso; Rasmussen, Muslija; Itten

Fürth: Schlieck; Reich, Ziereis, Münz, Itter; Consbruch, Dietz, Green, Keller; Hrgota ©, Futkeu

1.FC Kaiserslautern vs. 1.FC Magdeburg

Magdeburg were in similarly poor form for the majority of the half-season, but they’ve now climbed to the relegation/promotion spot after picking up seven points in the last four matches. Only Steven Skrzybski’s injury-time equalizer for Holstein Kiel prevented them from getting out of the drop zone completely.

Meanwhile, Kaiserslautern salvaged a goalless draw from Arminia Bielefeld last week. That extended the difference between them and league leaders Schalke to ten points. In front of their supporters, Torsten Lieberknecht’s side has been one of the best teams in the league as they collected 19 out of 27 points at Fritz-Walter-Stadion.

Team News

Kaiserslautern’s top-scorer Ivan Prtajin will be out for the third week running, while Magdeburg’s left-back Lubambo Musonda joined Zambia’s squad for the African Cup of Nations.

Predicted Lineups

Holstein Kiel vs. SG Dynamo Dresden

The last Topspiel of the year will actually be a game between two teams in the lower half of the standings. Dynamo Dresden need three points to avoid finishing the year at the bottom of the 2. Bundesliga.

It’ll be the first meeting between the clubs since the 2021/22 season. Kiel were in the Bundesliga last term, while Dresden achieved promotion from the 3. Liga. The hosts won seven of their last eight games against Dresden.

Team News

Alexander Bernhardsson isn’t expected to return for the hosts, but Skrzybski is lining up for his first start since matchday nine. Thomas Stamm made two quick substitutions in the defeat to Braunschweig. Luca Herrmann, Niklas Hauptmann, and Vincent Vermeij could be back in the starting lineup for Saturday night.

Predicted Lineups