FEATURE | 2. Bundesliga mid-season review: Grading every club | OneFootball

As all the 2. Bundesliga clubs rest over the Christmas break in preparation for the beginning of the rückrunde (start of the second half of the season) in January, we look back on the first half of the season and assess how each club’s campaign is going so far.

Here is the GGFN’s mid-season 2. Bundesliga review and grades.

1.FC Köln

Current position: 1st

Current top goalscorer: Tim Lemperle (8)

Grade: B

Even a few weeks ago, it wasn’t clear who would be sitting top at Christmas but after four consecutive wins, Köln lead what is already an incredibly contested 2. Bundesliga. It’s a fantastic achievement for the club considering they have been under a transfer ban and under new leadership this season in Gerhard Struber. Köln had a rough start to life in the second tier and didn’t really find any momentum until late October. Since then, they’re unbeaten in nine and also find themselves in the quarter-finals of the DFB Pokal. Expect Köln to be active in the January transfer window (finally) and add to their already solid squad. There have been rumours surrounding the future of top goalscorer Tim Lemperle, but if they can keep him until at least the summer, Köln may just find themselves back in the Bundesliga. Overall, reasons to be cheerful for Köln!

Karlsruher SC

Current position: 2nd

Current top goalscorer: Budu Zivzivadze (12)

Grade: B+

Consistency has always been an issue for KSC, a poor Hinrunde would be rescued by a great Rückrunde but it would always leave them mid-table. This season is different, Karlsruhe were unbeaten until late October and despite a one win in six-game run, the nature of the 2.Bundesliga this season meant they lose touch with the top three. Two wins to end the year meant KSC find themselves in the promotion places heading into the Ruckrunde. The pressure surrounding the bigger clubs around them in the table may play into their favour when it comes to the later stages of the season. It also helps that Karslruhe’’s captain Marvin Wanitzek is one of the best players in the league so far with eight assists and six goals, while Georgia striker Budu Zivzivadze is the league’s top goalscorer. Unlikes other teams (see below), Karlsruhe have stuck by head coach Christian Eichner, while he has stuck by the club, despite his rising stock and the pair are now reaping the rewards. KSC’s main issue heading into the second half of the season will be sureing up their defence as they have the joint worst goal difference in the top 10.

Hamburger SV

Current position: 3rd

Current top goalscorer: Davie Selke (10)

Grade: C+

Again for HSV, it’s been about the lack of consistency. It’s been their history for the past seven years and whether history will repeat itself, we will most likely be left waiting until the final day of the campaign. HSV have only lost three times this season but it’s the 7 draws that has been their downfall so far. HSV went four games without a win during late October and early November which led to Steffen Baumgart getting the sack. Merlin Polzin now leads the side on an interim basis and it’s been a mixed bag with draws against Ulm and Darmstadt and wins against Fürth and Karlsruher. HSV’s first game back in the new year is against league-leaders Köln. You feel the outcome of this game will really determine whether HSV are looking for the trophy or just any form of promotion. Of course there’ll be many twists and turns to come but it’s a massive opportunity they can’t afford to miss. In a league where consistency is half the battle, HSV have some work to do. They’re in striking distance but will they make the final hurdle in a few months time?

Elversberg

Current position: 4th

Current top goalscorer: Fisnik Asllani (10)

Grade: A

Elversberg are in their second season in the 2.Bundesliga and are within touching distance of the promotion places. A win on their final matchday of the year would have meant they ended the Hinrunde top of the table. The secret to Elversberg’s rise is their defence, they have the third least amount of goals conceded in the league and have also kept six clean sheets. They have built this side with consistency in the dugout with Horst Steffen in his seventh year in charge, leading the club from the Regionalliga to their current positioning, as well as smart recruiting with Fisnik Asllani, Muhmammed Damar (both Hoffenheim) and Elias Baum (Eintracht Frankfurt) all joining on loan and playing important roles. Elversberg have experience in winning league titles as they won the 3.Liga in 2022/23 so they know how to keep their cool, but the question is, in the chaos of the 2.Bundesliga, can they keep their cool and do the unthinkable and get promoted to the Bundesliga? The dream of Regionalliga to Bundesliga in four seasons is definitely on.

Magdeburg

Current position: 5th

Current top goalscorer: Martijn Kaars (7)

Grade: C+

A point within second place, it’s been a fantastic hinrunde for Magdeburg. Similar to others around them, FCM have struggled for consistency and dropped points against clubs at the other end of the table. Having said that, they’ve only lost three times this season and finished 2024 with a fabulous 5-2 win against table-rivals Fortuna Düsseldorf. The big alarm for Magdeburg is they have the worst home record in the league. From 8 home matches, they won none, drew six, and lost two. In contrast, they have the best away record winning seven, drew one, and lost one. It’s a statistic which is almost hard to get your head around. If just a couple of those home draws were converted into wins, Magdeburg would be flying high in first. Overall, Magdeburg have put themselves in a brilliant position for promotion; they just need to drastically improve their hom form.

SC Paderborn

Current position: 6th

Current top goalscorer: Filip Bilbja (5)

Grade: B

Paderborn finished last season in 7th and have quite clearly kicked on from then. 6th place and  one of four teams just a point from 2nd, Paderborn are well in the mix for automatic promotion this season. The squad may not have many recognisable names when looking at other 2. Bundesliga clubs, however, they’ve recruited well and are playing good football. Paderborn have been solid at home and even more impressive away from home having only lost once on their travels. They haven’t had the best of records against those around them and that’ll be key as the season comes to a close. So far, an impressive campaign for Paderborn who are mixing it with the so-called big boys of the 2. Bundesliga.

Hannover 96

Current position: 7th

Current top goalscorer: Nicolo Tresoldi (4)

Grade: C

Hannover are within two points of the promotion places, so all they would need is a good start to the year and they would be in the top three. Despite this, this was not good enough for Die Roten and they sacked Stefan Leitl replacing him with former head coach and player Andre Bretenreiter. Breitenreiter has experience winning promotion as he led Paderborn to their first-ever season in the Bundesliga as well as helping Hannover back into the Bundesliga in 2017. Hannover will have to hope this gamble pays off, as if it doesn’t it will be another long summer with star striker Nicolo Tresolid likely to depart.

Fortuna Düsseldorf

Current position: 8th

Current top goalscorer: Isak Bergmann Johannesson (6)

Grade: C

Fortuna Düsseldorf are capable of sneaking into third position at the end of the season but like many around them it’s consistency that is harming their chances. Düsseldorf are a team that are capable of winning 5-0 and two weeks later losing 5-2, just as they did before the end of 2024. Düsseldorf went on a dreadful run at the tail-end of October and didn’t win another game until early December. Up until then, they were looking like one of the top candidates for automatic promotion. Going into the rückrunde, the squad will have to channel the form they showed earlier in the season. So far, it’s been a rollercoaster of a season and it’s showing no signs of slowing down for Düsseldorf. Buckle up!

Kaiserslautern

Current position: 9th

Current top goalscorer: Ragnar Ache (9)

Grade: C

You win some, you lose some; that’s been Kaiserlautern’s season so far. FCK are a team that can play out a boring goalless draw against Regensburg before playing out a thrilling 4-3 victory against Düsseldorf. Just on the outskirts of the chasing pack, it remains to be seen whether Kaiserslautern have the legs to keep up with the rest of them. They start 2025 with a run of three games they should be expected to win (on paper at least).  If they can get seven points for their opening nine, FCK’s season may just spark into life. Another team to keep your eye on, particularly in the early months of 2025.

Darmstadt

Current position: 10th

Current top goalscorer: Isac Lindberg (9)

Grade: C

Things could have been a lot worse for Darmstadt in their return to the 2.Bundesliga. In September the club were languishing around the relegation zone and looked like they were going to copy Arminia Bielefeld with a back-to-back relegation. However, they would sack Torsten Lieberknecht and replace him with Florian Kohfeldt. Since taking over ‘FloKo’ has only lost twice (a 2-1 loss to bottom Jahn Regensburg on the final matchday before the winter break and his second game in charge against Magdeburg), away from those losses Darmstadt have thrown the cat amongst the pigeons for teams chasing promotion with big wins against Köln and Kaiserslautern while also taking points off of Karlsruhe and Hamburg in draws. The highlight of Darmstadt’s season so far has been their 5-3 win against Schalke in Kohfeldt’s first game in charge when they were 3-0 down at half-time. Darmstadt are only four points off of promotion, so it is not out of the question but they will definitely be out to cause trouble once again for promotion chasers.

1.FC Nürnberg

Current position: 11th

Current top goalscorer: Stefanos Tzimas (8)

Grade: C-

Average is the best way to describe Nürnberg at the moment. However, it is not all doom and gloom for Die Club as they only find themselves six points off of a promotion spot all while having the youngest squad in the league. Led by legendary German striker Miroslav Klose the likes of Finn Jeltsch, Berkay Yilmaz, Casper Jander, Jens Castrop and Stefanos Tzimas have all played important roles for Nürnberg this season. The young manager and young team combo will likely not work in the first season (as seen with Dino Toppmöller at Eintracht Frankfurt) but Nürnberg can continue to use this season to grow together as a team. The only downside is that they will lose their best player in the summer once again with Tzimas set to leave the team after they activate his €18m buy option and sell him for profit. With the money, Nürnberg can build a squad good enough for promotion.

Hertha Berlin

Current position: 12th

Current top goalscorer: Florian Niederlechner (5)

Grade: C-

Roughly mid-table on 22 points and a goal difference of 0, it’s been a frustrating watch at times for Hertha fans so far this season. The club were hoping to push on this season and be in with the mix for promotion but it hasn’t quite materialised as of yet. Form has been a big issue with Hertha winning a few before going winless for a couple of matches. Having lost their last three matches before the end of the year, Hertha’s task of pushing for promotion is looking more distant. However, the squad are capable of doing just that and in a league which is so close, all it takes is a run of four fixtures and Hertha could be right up there again. Hertha could be one to watch for a late push in the second half of the season. Overall, it hasn’t been great so far but Hertha’s season is far from over.

Schalke 04

Current position: 13th

Current top goalscorer: Moussa Sylla (11)

Grade: D

Drama is never far away from the Veltins Arena nowadays, but most of is is happening off the pitch. On it, Schalke looks closer to 3.Liga level than Bundesliga level and constantly rely on Moussa Sylla (11) and Kenan Karaman (10) for their goals. Manager Kees van Wonderen claims he is not Harry Potter when it comes to helping the club, but die Konigsblau need more than a magician to help them have any chance of returning to the Bundesliga. Their financial issues off the pitch put restrictions on who they can sign and hire, and the fact that there are rumours of selling Sylla in the winter to help ease these issues shows the state Schalke are currently in. They will need a miracle to even try and challenge for promotion this season and it wouldn’t be unlikely if they end the season with a different manager as they prepare for another year in the second division.

Greuther Fürth

Current position: 14th

Current top goalscorer: Noel Futkeu (7)

Grade: C-

Having finished 8th last season, this isn’t exactly where Greuther Fürth want to be going into the rückrunde. Currently on 20 points, Fürth will be nervously looking behind them rather than up unless they can pull consecutive wins together. The team went on a dreadful run in November before winning against Hertha and Hannover which has made their league position slightly better. Their home and away record is nearly identical and it’s clear that Fürth are capable of putting in a performance against some top teams. They don’t have the ability to push for promotion but should be good enough to avoid a relegation scrap.

Preußen Münster

Current position: 15th

Current top goalscorer: Joshua Mees (4)

Grade: C+

Having won back-to-back promotions, Münster have catapulted themselves into one hell of a division against some of Germany’s most historic and traditional clubs. 15th heading into the new year is a fantastic achievement for the club. The aim for the season is to survive and that’s exactly what they’re doing so far. They’re three points ahead of automatic relegation and four points from 14th. Münster’s aim in the new year will be to close the gap on those above them whilst keeping their noses in front of the chasing pack behind them. Münster are a low scoring side (18) but at the same time don’t concede many (23). They’ve had some memorable victories against Hertha Berlin and Düsseldorf but will need to get more against the teams around them. Münster’s season hangs in the balance but they’re doing all they can to survive.

SSV Ulm

Current position: 16th

Current top goalscorer: Semir Telalović (5)

Grade: C-

Ulm are exactly where you’d expect them to be having just come up from the 3. Liga. They knew they’d be fighting for survival and the fact that they’re not bottom and two points from safety, they’ll be somewhat content with that so far. Ulm have become masters of the draw recently having shared the spoils in four of their last five league matches. It’s a good sign if they can see out games against the likes of Hertha and HSV but they’ll still need to turn some games from one point to all three if they want to survive. That’s the big task in the rückrunde for Ulm.

Eintracht Braunschweig

Current position: 17th

Current top goalscorer: Rayan Philippe (9)

Grade: D

It’s another season of battling for survival at Braunschweig having just avoided the drop in their last campaign. Going into the new year, the side have lost their last three and failed to score in their previous four; during this time they’ve also conceded nine goals. Simply put, Braunschweig can’t score goals and can’t keep them out. They have a poor record against the teams around them but occasionally pull the rabbit out the hat and somehow beat Hamburg, Hannover, and Greuther Fürth at home. Top goalscorer Rayan Phillippe is responsible for 56% of all Braunschweig’s goals this campaign. You fear that should he get injured, the club would find themselves in the third division next term.

Jahn Regensburg

Current position: 18th

Current top goalscorer: Kai Pröger (2)

Grade: D-

It’s been a miserable hinrunde for Regensburg who are now odds on to go straight back down into the third tier. Their season already looked dead and buried when they lost 8-3 away at Nürnberg back in late October. This prompted the manager to be sacked and for Andreas Patz to come in. Remarkably, Regensburg went on to win their next two in all competitions and finished 2024 with a win at home to Darmstadt. They’ve been through some tough moments this season but avoiding relegation is still possible. They’re three points from Ulm in 16th and play them in late January. Is the great escape on for Regensburg?

GGFN | Jamie Allen & Jack Meenan