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2. Bundesliga: VfB Stuttgart, Hamburger SV, 1. FC Nuremberg - who rises?
Three weeks before the Bundesliga, the second division starts their season, the premature start is already a tradition, so the club should get at least two game days more attention. It starts in the evening with the duel of relegated VfB Stuttgart and Hannover 96 (20.30 clock).
It will be the top match of the first day of the match and will tell you whether the two clubs can live up to their role as favorites. Because together with the 1st FC Nuremberg and the Hamburger SV VfB and the 96er are financially and also of the possibilities of the squad significantly above the competition. The Bundesliga promotion can only run through these four clubs.
In the past few years, however, there has always been at least one club that interfered surprisingly in the promotion fight - and that will happen this season. It will be exciting at the end of the table, because the strength of the traditional clubs at the top of many clubs will fight against relegation.
Read in the SPIEGEL ranking which of the 18 clubs at the end of the season will land where:
18th place: SV Wehen Wiesbaden
The climber, who had prevailed in the relegation against Ingolstadt, as the biggest relegation candidate in the season. With a veteran Alf Mintzel (Photo) Wehen lost Wiesbaden an important figure of identification, it committed the team of coaches Rüdiger Rehm predominantly young talents like Michel Niemeyer (Magdeburg) or Philipp Tietz (Paderborn). Wehen and also Rehm (ten games as coach of Arminia Bielefeld) have very little second division experience, also the home games are held because of the reconstruction on a construction site.
17th place: SSV Jahn Regensburg
The Jahn goes into the third league year in a row. It impressed the low-financial-endowed club under the leadership of coach Achim Beierlorzer with the places five and eight. Now Beierlorzer has moved on to 1. FC Köln in the Bundesliga and with him Regensburg has lost some important players: Sargis Adamyan, Philipp Pentke (both Hoffenheim), Hamadi Al Ghaddioui (VfB Stuttgart) and the loaner Adrian Fein, Asgar Sörensen and Jonas Föhrenbach , Under the new coach Mersad Selimbegovic (Photo), who was co-trainer under Beierlorzer, nine new players have been committed, but bring together only a little professional experience.
16th place: FC St. Pauli
The FC St. Pauli belonged to the promotion candidates for a long time last season. But in the last 14 games, the Hamburg won only twice and slipped - despite a late change of coach - from ninth place. Since then, very little has happened at Millerntor. Ten departures, four signings plus the continued employment of loan-right defender Luca Zander (Photo) do not make St. Pauli's squad appear competitive at the moment. That sees also coach Jos Luhukay so that calls for more professionals and this should also get according to President Oke Divine. But at the moment, St. Pauli has the potential to be the negative surprise of the season.
15th place: SpVgg Greuther Fürth
The Fürth were in the 2018/2019 season on the way to the shooting gallery of the Second League. Then came coach Stefan Leitl for Damir Buric and stabilized the defense. He wants this trend with access Mergim Mavraj (Photo, FC Ingolstadt) continue, the Albanians are the outings of the center-back Richárd Magyar (Hammarby) and Mario Maloca (Lechia Gdansk) field. Together with captain Marco Caligiuri Mavraj forms a very experienced, but also slow duo in the defense center. The offensive is more worrisome, with only Daniel Keita-Ruel scoring goals on a regular basis. Fürth will be challenged until the end in the relegation battle, only three teams are difficult to identify.
14th place: Karlsruher SC
As a climber with one of the smallest budgets of the league, it will only be for the Karlsruher SC to avoid the relegation to the third division. The conditions are good: The KSC did not have to play a regular player and has with Marco Djuricin (Grasshopper Club Zurich), Philipp Hofmann (Brunswick), Lukas Fröde (Duisburg), Marius Gersbeck (Hertha BSC) and Lukas Grozurek (Sturm Graz) experienced players committed, which make the squad in the width better. Six Fröde and outside rail player Grozurek have the best chances to already belong to the starting eleven at the start against Wehen Wiesbaden. Trainer Alois Schwartz should not be questioned immediately in the first crisis.
13th place: SV Sandhausen
If a club like SV Sandhausen rescues last season thanks to a remarkable series of seven unbeaten games and then with goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen (Darmstadt) and goalscorer Andrew Wooten (Philadelphia Union, 17 goals) and Fabian Schleusener ( Freiburg, ten goals), the three major players say goodbye, the next season should be problematic. Why the SVS will save anyway? The club of coach Uwe Kozhinat has - without paying transfer fees - cleverly reinforced, as returnees Aziz Bouhaddouz and the experienced Philipp Türpitz (Magdeburg), Philipp Heerwagen (Ingolstadt) or Gerrit Nauber (Duisburg) show. The Icelandic World Cup driver Rurik Gislason (Photo) also flourished in preparation in a new role as center forward.
12th place: VfL Osnabrück
The fans of VfL Osnabrück had to wait eight years before taking on the coach Daniel Thioune (Photo) once again the rise to second-class succeeded. And Thioune is also the most important factor in the relegation goal, which VfL will tackle with a reinforced squad. The 44-year-old is a great coaching talent with his emotional style, his proximity to the team and his assistants, as well as his tactical skills. Compared to the promotion season, no regular player has left the club, but urge two experienced defensive players with Kevin Wolze (Duisburg) and Lukas Gugganig (Fürth) in the starting eleven. Above all, Wolze could become an important factor in standard situations.
Place 11: Erzgebirge Aue
The Auers have one of the most experienced squads in the second division. Goalkeeper Martin Männel, playmaker Jan Hochscheidt (Photo) and striker Pascal Testroet also offer a high degree of identification with the club, which is very important for the Saxon underdog in the shadow of Dynamo Dresden. Trainer Daniel Meyer was allowed to work in the past season as a newcomer in the professional business in peace and secured already on the 32nd matchday the league. Meyer, who has co-coached his brother André, still wants to play more football than fight in his favorite 3-4-1-2 system. Access Sören Gonther increases long-term opportunities on the defensive. Erzgebirge will not experience a completely carefree season, but save itself prematurely.
10th place: Dynamo Dresden
Actually Dynamo Dresden 2021 wanted to rise in the Bundesliga. Sport boss Ralf Minge presented this ambitious plan two years ago, but that's not the case with the traditional club. As well as after a season with two coach changes and the late relegation? Well has Cristian Fiél (Photo) the shots and wants to make Dynamo in small steps more competitive. Fiél is a communicative coach who relies on ball possession football and has three things to teach his team: consistency, running and goal driving. Seven important players have left the club, with goalkeeper Kevin Broll (Sonnenhof-Großaspach), Chris Lion (Huddersfield Town) and René Klingenburg (Preußen Münster) are pushing three additions to the starting eleven.
9th place: 1 FC Heidenheim
The club from the 50,000-inhabitant city in Ostwürttemberg goes into its sixth league year. In the 2018/2019 season in the meantime even the Bundesliga promotion was possible, in the end jumped out of fifth place. And now? Trainer Frank Schmidt, who has been in charge in Heidenheim for twelve years, lost two of his regulars Robert Andrich (Union Berlin) and Nikola Dovedan (Nuremberg). Otherwise, the team remained captain Marc Schnatterer (Photo) but together and was rather amplified in width. Heidenheim will not go into the relegation battle, but due to the strong competition, it will not go as far up as in the past season.
8th place: SV Darmstadt
At first it looked like the return action of coach Dirk Schuster was a good idea. Darmstadt held the class with Schuster in the 2017/2018 season. But then came Schuster's defensive game idea increasingly to their limits and the lilies were again in danger of relegation. The Bundesliga promotion legend had to go - and with Dimitrios Grammozis changed a lot. Suddenly Darmstadt played football, the game structure was as ordered as it was brave and incidentally also fell the number of goals. Grammozis wants to remain true to his style, it should help the entrances Marcel shoes (Sandhausen) in goal as well as Erich Berko (Dresden), Mathias Honsak (Salzburg) and Tim Skarke on the wings. Darmstadt is despite the good development but no promotion candidate.
7th place: Holstein Kiel
The storks have moved years behind them. After the second division promotion in 2017 Holstein lost the following year the Bundesliga relegation against Wolfsburg - and then several regulars. Under coach Tim Walter succeeded the change, Kiel was sixth last year. However, continuity is not the thing of the Kiel, this summer was inevitably followed by the next conversion in the squad and the coaching bench. André Schubert is the new coach, the former Brunswick Holstein wants to give more defensive stability after 51 goals. From the entrances Aleksandar Ignjovski (Magdeburg), Emmanuel Iyoha (Duesseldorf) and Phil Neumann (Ingolstadt) have best chances for a regular place. Kiel will continue to establish itself in the second division.
6th place: VfL Bochum
In the past second league years, there was always a team that blew the field of promotion favorites. This role is expected this season by some experts the VfL Bochum, although with Lukas Hinterseer top scorer changed to Hamburger SV. Most important reason: coach Robin Dutt (Photo), who after years of disorientation at VfL has regained his position as a coach. Bochum should play under Dutt pressing, switch quickly and come to gates. The VfL can actually play a good role, but the newly formed defensive line and the lack of a real scorer make a sensation unlikely.
5th place: Hannover 96
The Bundesliga relegated has remembered successful times and with sporting director Jan Schlaudraff, coach Mirko Slomka and Goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler (Photo, VfB Stuttgart) brought three players who played in 2011 and 2012 with Hannover in the Europa League. Now, return actions do not have to be bad per se, but here are doubts. Slomka was not working as a coach for two years and Schlaudraff has little experience. Nevertheless, the 96 must be counted to the extended circle of favorites, however, wants the left by disputes around CEO Martin child burdened club two years time for the return to the Bundesliga. Good decision.
4th place: 1. FC Nuremberg
The club won in the last Bundesliga season just three games and was with 26 goals by far the weakest offensive. The Nurembergers needed a fresh start and met this task with all vehemence. With Robert Palikuca there is a new sports director, who with Damir Canadi got a new coach and the team with 13 departures and ten additions gave a very different face. The friendly matches were different, but the 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain (photo) showed that the team has potential. Canadi relies on initiative, he wants to switch quickly and recover the ball in case of loss just as quickly. With the rise, it is still nothing, because with such a major change also setbacks are expected.
3rd place: Arminia Bielefeld
Uwe Neuhaus (Photo) is a coach who receives little attention outside of his clubs, but has delivered excellent work for many years. With the Arminia the former professional of the SG Wattenscheid since December 2018 in the office and made from an average team within a few months, the second best Rückrundenmannschaft. Neuhaus trusts its players. With Julian Börner left only one regular force the club, the central defender is replaced by the four-time Swedish international Joakim Nilsson. Otherwise, there is constancy in the Bielefeld squad - and that's what makes the Arminia the biggest candidate for a surprise, especially when Fabian Klos, Andreas Voglsammer and Reinhold Yabo find the form of the previous second half.
2nd place: Hamburger SV
Can it be that the Hamburger SV has actually learned from past mistakes? This question will finally be answered in a year, but there are a few signs. Sure, the sporting leadership has been replaced again, but at least coach Dieter Hecking has the makings of hope. The squad was reputedly and realistically reinforced with players from the Second Division: goalkeeper Daniel Heuer-Fernandes (Darmstadt), striker Lukas Hinterseer (Photo, Bochum), midfielders David Kinsombi (Kiel) and Adrian Fein (Bayern) as well as defenders Tim Leibold (Nuremberg) and Jan Gyamerah (Bochum) have what it takes to be real reinforcements. In the end it will be decisive in the ascent fight, how much the HSV will be influenced by setbacks of his nervous environment.
1st place: VfB Stuttgart
At VfB as a top favorite of the second division, there is no way around. The Stuttgarters have taken on the disposals of Benjamin Pavard, Ozan Kabak and Timo Baumgartl 60 million euros and still the squad is still Erstligareif - the evidence alone Mario Gomez, Daniel Didavi, Marc Oliver Kempf or the additions Philipp Klement (Paderborn), Gregor Kobel (Hoffenheim) and Pascal Stenzel (Freiburg). Trainer Tim Walter has shown at Holstein Kiel that he can play attractive offensive football, which will definitely suit the team. After the resignation of President Wolfgang Dietrich, the environment has also returned to calm - VfB will dominate this league.