2. Bundesliga Friday preview

Greuther Fürth vs. 1. FC Magdeburg

After going seven matches without a win and slipping to the foot of the table, Greuther Fürth appeared to be running out of road in their fight for survival. That made last weekend’s surprise 2-1 victory away at Holstein Kiel all the more significant, as goals from Aaron Keller and Noel Futkeu breathed fresh life into a confidence-shot squad.

The win trimmed the gap to safety to just two points, though Fürth still sit 20th heading into the weekend. With the relegation scrap intensifying, head coach Heiko Vogel was active on deadline day, adding to his January intake with the loan signings of Sayfallah Ltaief from FC Twente and Kayan Varela from Servette, taking their winter arrivals to six in total.

Magdeburg, meanwhile, have been dragged back into trouble following a dip in form. After enjoying a three-match unbeaten run across the turn of the year they have since suffered consecutive home defeats, slipping back into the automatic relegation zone, underlining the unforgiving nature of the 2. Bundesliga relegation battle. Last time out, they fell to a 2-1 defeat against promotion-chasing Hannover, with Baris Atik’s second-half equaliser ultimately proving insufficient.

The visitors also strengthened on deadline day, bringing in forward Richmond Tachie on loan from Kaiserslautern in a bid to further bolster their attacking options alongside the in-form Mateusz Żukowski and Atik. Tachie has made 11 league appearances this season, scoring once.

The reverse fixture on matchday four produced one of the games of the season so far, as Fürth edged a remarkable 5-4 win in Magdeburg thanks to Marco John’s 98th-minute winner. Magdeburg have not beaten Fürth since 2022, although they do arrive having won three away matches in a row.

Team news: 

Greuther Fürth: Felix Klaus, David Abrangao, Gian-Luca Itter, Marco John, Julian Green and Sacha Bansé are all sidelined through injury. Maximilian Dietz is suspended.1. FC Magdeburg: Long-term absentees Samuel Loric and Luka Hyryläinen remain unavailable. Tarek Chahed, Connor Krempicki, Alexander Ahl-Holmström and Eldin Dzogovic are also ruled out, while Magnus Baars misses out due to illness.

Predicted lineups: 

Greuther Fürth (4-2-3-1): Schlieck (GK) - Dehm, Bjarnason, Ziereis, Münz - Will, Arifi - Ltaief, Hrgota, Keller - Futkeu 

1. FC Magdeburg (4-3-3): Reimann (GK) - Musonda, Hugonet, Müller, Nollenberger - Ulrich, Mathisen, Michel - Ghrieb, Żukowski, Atik 

Preußen Münster vs. VfL Bochum

Preußen Münster are enduring their worst spell of the campaign, with a six-match winless run stretching back to November dragging them firmly into the relegation fight. They currently sit 15th in the table, just one point above the automatic drop zone.

Last weekend’s 1-1 draw away at Nürnberg summed up much of their season so far. Jorrit Hendrix’s second-half strike salvaged a point for Alexander Ende’s side, but once again Münster were unable to turn a competitive display into maximum points, registering their sixth draw of the campaign.

In contrast, Bochum’s resurgence under Uwe Rösler continues to gather momentum. The Ruhr side are unbeaten in seven league matches, a run that dates back to late November, and the mood around the club has lifted considerably. They currently sit eighth in the table, six points clear of 16th place.

Bochum underlined their upward trajectory last time out with an impressive 2-0 victory over league leaders Schalke. First-half goals from Koji Miyoshi and Philipp Hofmann, coupled with a disciplined defensive performance, sealed a statement win.

Both sides were active late in the transfer window. Münster secured the signing of Tobias Raschl from Kaiserslautern, taking their January business to three new faces, while Bochum added Oliver Olsen from Danish side Randers, bringing their winter arrivals to six.

Münster won the reverse fixture on matchday four, claiming a 2-1 victory thanks to a Joshua Mees brace. This season marks the first competitive meetings between the sides since a DFB-Pokal tie in 2008, while Rösler and Ende are also set to face off for the first time as head coaches.

Team news: 

Preußen Münster: Malik Batmaz, Lars Lokotsch, Simon Scherder, Antonio Tikvic and Oscar Vilhelmsson remain sidelined through injury. Yassine Bouchama and Jannis Heuer are both suspended.

VfL Bochum: Matúš Bero, Ibrahimo Sissoko and Kevin Vogt are expected to miss out. 

Predicted lineups: 

Preußen Münster (4-4-2 Diamond): Schenk (GK) - ter Horst, Jaeckel, Paetow, Kirkeskov - Benger - Sertdemir, Hendrix - Batista Meier - Amenyido, Rondić

VfL Bochum (4-2-3-1): Horn (GK) - Morgalla, Loosli, Strompf, Wittek - Lenz, Onyeka - Miyoshi, Marshall, Holtmann - Hofmann