2. Bundesliga preview: SC Paderborn vs. Hertha BSC

Preview, team news and predicted lineups as SC Paderborn welcome Hertha BSC to the Home Deluxe Arena on Sunday afternoon (13:30 CET).

SC Paderborn 

Once setting the pace in the promotion race, Paderborn have seen their hold on top spot slip in recent weeks and now sit fourth in the table. In true 2. Bundesliga fashion, however, the margins remain razor-thin – just three points separate them from the summit, meaning a victory this weekend could dramatically reshape the standings once again.

Ralf Kettemann’s side were held to a goalless draw away at Bochum last time out, a result that highlighted their recent struggles on the road. They are now winless in three away fixtures and, in truth, were fortunate to leave with a point, relying heavily on an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Dennis Seimen to keep the hosts at bay.

Kettemann recognises the significance of Sunday’s clash:

“Hertha is a big name with big names. A team with great individual quality and power. Because the league is so balanced, they will certainly still have a chance to be in contention at the top. For us, it’s a huge opportunity to widen the gap to them,”

Back on home soil, Paderborn will aim to build on successive victories at the Home Deluxe Arena. They can also draw confidence from the reverse fixture, where a Filip Bilbija brace secured a 2-0 win at the Olympiastadion earlier in the campaign.

Team news: 

Marcel Hoffmeier and Anton Bäuerle remain sidelined. Filip Bilbija returns after recovering from illness, while Sebastian Klaas is also available following a minor knock.

Predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): 

Seimen (GK) – Scheller, Götze, Brackelmann – Curda, Castaneda, Baur, Obermair – Michel, Klaas – Tigges 

Hertha BSC 

While performances have often been encouraging, Hertha have struggled to convert them into wins in 2026. Three consecutive draws to start the year cost them valuable ground, and they now find themselves sixth in the table – seven points adrift of the promotion playoff place.

Their most recent outing ended in a frustrating 3-2 home defeat to fellow promotion hopefuls Hannover, a setback that further dented their momentum. Fatigue may have played a role, following a demanding 120-minute DFB-Pokal clash against Freiburg just days earlier.

Head coach Stefan Leitl understands the urgency of the situation:

“It’s another very important game against a team that’s ahead of us in the standings – just like our last opponents. It’s crucial for us to get back to picking up points,”

Encouragingly for the Berliners, their away form has been strong of late. They are unbeaten in five on the road, winning three of those matches. They also tasted victory in Paderborn last season, claiming a 2-1 win courtesy of goals from Michael Cuisance and the now-departed Derry Scherhant.

Team news: 

Deyovaisio Zeefuik, Kennet Eichhorn, Niklas Kolbe, Maurice Krattenmacher and Diego Demme are all ruled out through injury, while Dawid Kownacki serves a suspension.

Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): 

Ernst (GK) – Eitschberger, Leistner, Dardai, Karbownik – Seguin, Klemens – Reese, Cuisance, Brekalo – Schuler