While the dust has barely settled after a summer of international tournaments, many top European leagues, including the 2024/2025 Bundesliga season, are gearing up for their return. One league that has already begun that you should be all over is the 2. Bundesliga, German soccer’s second tier.
While much of the focus in German footballing circles will be on whether Bayer Leverkusen can repeat their incredible feats of last season or whether Harry Kane can break his trophy duck, the 2. Bundesliga will be throwing up incredible matchups every week.
Surplus of storied clubs in the 2. Bundesliga
There have been several huge clubs who have dropped out of the German top flight in recent years and, while many have returned to the top tier, there are others who have not found the going so easy.
Hamburg was relegated in 2018 having been ever-present in the top tier since its current inception in 1963 and, while many assumed it would merely be a fleeting stay, they have found themselves rooted in the 2. Bundesliga ever since. They have had near-misses pretty much every year, never finishing lower than fourth and losing the promotion/relegation playoff final in both 2022 and 2023. This has led many to believe that HSV are cursed, consigned to an eternity looking up at the league they have won three times.
To make matters worse for Hamburg fans, their bitter city rivals St. Pauli will be playing in the top tier for the first time this season, having won the 2. Bundesliga last season. In doing so, they replaced FC Koln who were relegated for the sixth time in the 21st Century. The club who won the first-ever Bundesliga season in 1963/64 hosted Hamburg on week one last Friday night and were beaten 2-1 to dispel any notion that they would simply stroll to promotion.
More fallen greats
While Union Berlin made their Champions League debut last season, their city rivals from the capital Hertha BSC are beginning their second season in a row in the 2….
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/why-we-love-the-2-bundesliga-and-you-should-too/
Author : Mark Strange
Publish date : 2024-08-09 16:00:00
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