Eintracht Braunschweig 2025/26 season preview: The Lions will play for survival once again | OneFootball

A little over a decade ago, Torsten Lieberknecht put Eintracht Braunschweig back on Bundesliga’s map with two promotions in three seasons. But they were back in the third-tier football when Lieberknecht’s ten-year spell came to an end in 2018.

After dealing with one more relegation to 3. Liga, Braunschweig spent the last three seasons fighting for their 2. Bundesliga status. Following two 15th-placed finishes, Die Löwen escaped a dramatic playoff last term. Incoming coach Heiner Backhaus will hope to avoid running that risk.

How was their 2024/25?

April was the month that saved Braunschweig’s season. Three wins in a row over promotion-hopefuls Paderborn, Hamburg and Kaiserslautem account for nearly half of their victories in a season that started with ten goals conceded in two away matches.

Failing to win any of their last four games resulted in a playoff meeting with Saarbrücken. A 2-0 away win seemed to confirm their 2. Bundesliga status for another year before the second-leg at the Eintracht-Stadion.

However, Saarbrücken forced extra-time with two second-half goals. Calogero Rizzuto’s red card in the injury-time ended up being the decisive factor as Braunschweig took advantage of the situation with two extra-time goals.

The Coach

Marc Pfitzner took charge of the two-legged playoff tie on an interim basis after Daniel Scherning’s sacking. The 40-year-old will continue in his assistant coach role under Backhaus. It’s the first chance to coach at this level for the new boss.

After a promotion to 3. Liga with Alemannia Aachen, Backhaus led them to a 12th-placed finish last season. During an intriguing playing career, the groundhopper (as he’d like to call himself) played for 20 clubs, including in Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Malta, Hong Kong, Syria and Lebanon.

Transfers

The only question over Rayan Philippe’s future was for which Bundesliga club he’d end up signing. At the end, the Frenchman joined newly-promoted Hamburger SV for €2.5 million. The 24-year-old scored 14 goals last season, including Braunschweig’s fourth goal against Saarbrücken.

Erencan Yardimcı is his successor after Braunschweig agreed a loan deal with TSG Hoffenheim. The Turkish striker will hope to replicate what Hoffenheim loanees Fisnik Asllani and Muhammed Damar achieved with minnows Elversberg last term.

Meanwhile, the club decided to permanently sign goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann and midfielder Lino Tempelmann after the end of their loan spell from Schalke. Mehmet Aydin also joined on a free transfer from the Royal Blues. Their most expensive signing of the summer saw them spend €350k on Regensburg’s defender Louis Breunig.

Despite his big contributions since returning to the club in 2023, Braunschweig opted not to extend Ermin Bicakcic’s expired contract.

Pre-season preparations

After back-to-back defeats, Braunschweig managed to end the preseason friendlies with a 4-1 win over Hansa Rostock. Yardimcı scored his first two goals in the first six minutes of his Eintracht-Stadion debut.

Their only other friendly win came against League One side Plymouth Argyle, thanks to a memorable own-goal by the League One side’s trialist goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond.

Predicted XI

Hoffmann; Breunig, Köhler ©, Frenkert; Aydin, Tempelmann, Heußer, Sanchez; Conteh, Marie; Yardimcı

Sven Köhler is picked as the new captain to replace Bicakcic. Frederik Jäkel, on loan from RB Leipzig, will hope to get back to full fitness after missing the entire last season due to a knee injury. Backhaus mainly used the 3-4-2-1 formation in 3. Liga.

The 34-year-old Sebastian Polter will not be starting many games up front, but his vast experience could be the difference maker in Braunschweig’s fight for 2. Bundesliga safety.

Fixture list

Braunschweig will start their season away at Magdeburg this Sunday before hosting Greuther Fürth next weekend. Since VfB Stuttgart are involved in the freshly-named curtain-raiser Franz-Beckenbauer-Supercup, they will play their first round DFB-Pokal tie at the end of August.

The game against the defending champions will most likely extend Braunschweig’s awful record of getting eliminated in the first round of the cup in six of the last eight seasons. Braunschweig will end the season with games against Dynamo Dresden and Schalke, barring another playoff drama.

Expectations & Prediction

Braunschweig will start the season as one of the favorites for automatic relegation. The newly-promoted teams – Arminia Bielefeld and Dresden – shouldn’t be taken lightly, while SC Preußen Münster surprised many in their first 2. Bundesliga campaign in 34 years.

With a favorable fixture list in the first couple of months, Backhaus will look for a decent start to his 2. Bundesliga baptism.