VfL Bochum v Hertha BSC, 2. Bundesliga opener preview and team news | OneFootball

The 2026/27 2. Bundesliga opens on Friday night with VfL Bochum hosting Hertha BSC at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion.

Bochum enter with renewed optimism after Uwe Rösler’s first full pre-season, with 17 out and 10 in. According to BuLi News, they lost only once in his first 15 games to finish ninth. Pre-season featured four clean sheets and one defeat, to Werder Bremen.

Rösler says if the squad truly internalise a hard-to-beat mindset, they could achieve their goals, and he wants that winning mentality embedded every day.

Hertha’s summer has been far less cheerful. Captain Fabian Reese has gone, as have Tjark Ernst, Kennet Eichhorn and Michael Cuisance. With finances tight, 14 have left and only Oluwaseun Adewumi has arrived on loan from Burnley.

Even so, Stefan Leitl’s side are unbeaten in pre-season with four wins and two draws. He says he has a very good feeling after a full programme and reintegrations, and they want to carry that form into Friday.

Bochum won this fixture 3-2 in Rösler’s first game, then drew 1-1 in Berlin, while Hertha last won here in 2021.

Team news, Bochum are without Philipp Strompf and Mikkel Rakneberg, and teenager Alessandro Crimaldi could start. For Hertha, Gustav Christensen should be the only absentee, and 18-year-old Boris Mamuzah Lum could start his first competitive game.

Predicted lineups, VfL Bochum 4-2-3-1, Horn GK, Olsen, Steinwender, Karademir, Wittek, Mbom, Cokaj, Miyoshi, Taz, Crimaldi, Hofmann. Hertha BSC 4-2-3-1, Gersbeck GK, Eitschberger, Gechter, Dardai, Zeefuik, Lum, Seguin, Winkler, Sessa, Brekalo, Schuler.

Source: BuLi News

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