Rot-Weiss Essen will host Greuther Fürth on Friday in the first leg of a 2. Bundesliga promotion/relegation playoff tie. The matchup will determine the 18th team in the 2. Bundesliga for the 2024/25 season, with Essen entering as the third-placed team in 3. Liga and Fürth fighting to avoid relegation from the second tier.
A dramatic final matchday saw both teams secure their playoff spots with late victories. Ben Hüning scored a 92nd-minute winner for Essen against Ulm, securing their place ahead of Duisburg. For Uwe Koschinat, the Essen manager, this represents an opportunity to improve on a previous playoff experience with Arminia Bielefeld which ended in disappointment.
Essen are hoping to return to the 2. Bundesliga after a two-decade absence, a period which also included a spell in the fifth tier due to financial difficulties. Their home form has been strong, with Saarbrücken being the only team to defeat them at home in 2024.
Fürth, conversely, have consistently played in the top two divisions of German football since the 1996/97 season, although they have faced immediate relegation following previous promotions. The club reached the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal in 2023/24, losing to HSV in a closely contested match. A three-goal win against Fortuna Düsseldorf on the final day of the season secured their playoff place, with Felix Klaus, a former Düsseldorf player, playing a key role.
Despite a late push for a fourth goal, which would have guaranteed their safety, Fürth were unable to extend their lead against Düsseldorf. Both Noel Futkeu, the 2. Bundesliga’s top scorer with 19 goals, and captain Branimir Hrgota are set to depart the club following the conclusion of the playoff tie, regardless of the outcome. Heiko Vogel’s side are now fully focused on securing their league status through the playoffs.
Essen are predicted to line up with Golz in goal, a defence of Hüning, Rios Alonso, and Kraulich, midfield duo Hofmann and Brumme, and an attack led by Safi, Mizuta, and Potocnik. Fürth’s expected starting eleven includes Prüfrock in goal, a backline of Dehm, Elvedi, Ziereis, and Itter, with Futkeu leading the line alongside Hrgota and Klaus.
