Pure promotion fight: Holstein Kiel meets embattled Braunschweig!

Pure promotion fight: Holstein Kiel meets embattled Braunschweig!

On the upcoming 15th matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga, Holstein Kiel and Eintracht Braunschweig will meet in the Eintracht Stadium. This will be an exciting encounter, especially because Braunschweig recently took a positive turn and was able to recover after a difficult phase. After four defeats in a row, the team celebrated a 2-0 win against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on the last matchday and was clearly able to set an example. The team is currently in 16th place, but has only collected 13 points and is in a relegation battle.

Eintracht Braunschweig has had a wild rollercoaster ride over the past decade, with frequent moves between the 3rd division and the 2nd Bundesliga. Last season, the team managed to stay in the league with a relegation win against 1. FC Saarbrücken. This season is with the new head coach Heiner Backhaus a fresh wind has blown in. The coach, who previously led Alemannia Aachen to promotion to the third division, has already made it clear that he has big goals for the team.

The new coach and the new arrivals

This season Braunschweig has been significantly strengthened and has signed 13 new players, including the talented Ron-Thorben Hoffmann and Lino Tempelmann. Particularly noteworthy is Mehmet Aydin, who came from Schalke and has established himself as one of the most dangerous offensive players, having already contributed to five goals. Also the loan player Erencan Yardımcı, who came from TSG Hoffenheim, has shown his goalscoring qualities by already scoring four goals.

The defense, on the other hand, still has room for improvement, as the 25 goals conceded are the third highest number in the league. Sports director Benjamin Kessel is nevertheless optimistic about the team's future performance under Backhaus' leadership and looks forward to the remaining games of the season with confidence. The coach himself is looking forward to working with the players and the fan base and has high expectations for the upcoming matches.

The story of the encounters

At Holstein Kiel, the last meeting between the two teams in the Eintracht Stadium is still well remembered. Kiel started their promotion season with a 1-0 win and Holmbert Fridjonsson scored the decisive goal. There have already been some memorable duels in the history of the two clubs. The first meeting took place in the DFB Cup in 1943, which Kiel won 5-4. Marcel Engelhardt, who is currently part of Kiel's squad, even played for Braunschweig for five years and therefore knows the rivalry well.

While the fans in Braunschweig are hoping for a positive turnaround, the people of Kiel are looking forward to an exciting game. No matter how it ends, one thing is certain: the mood and expectations are high – both among the players and the fans.