The 2. Bundesliga Matchweek 8 schedule runs from 16 October to 18 October 2026, featuring nine fixtures across three days. The division remains closely packed, with table leaders Hertha BSC attempting to protect their five-match winning streak while contenders right behind them collide in direct promotion scraps. As always, our model has generated projections for the upcoming fixtures; the remaining calls appear on each match page the day before kickoff.
The match of the round: VfL Wolfsburg vs 1. FC Heidenheim
Saturday's meeting between fifth-placed VfL Wolfsburg and third-placed 1. FC Heidenheim features two of the division's sharpest forward lines. Wolfsburg enter the match on 12 points, sitting two behind their visitors after a wild 4-4 draw against 1. FC Nürnberg. They have scored 18 goals in their past five outings, powered by the creative contributions of Fabian Reese and the finishing of R. Glatzel, who has four goals across all competitions. That high-octane attack comes with defensive gaps, as Wolfsburg have gone six matches without keeping a clean sheet.
Heidenheim travel with 14 points and their own five-match unbeaten run, during which they have scored nine times. Budu Zivzivadze leads their attack with three goals this season. While Heidenheim have conceded 12 goals in seven matches, their defensive numbers and chance prevention look steadier than Wolfsburg's recent record. The visitors are without Sirlord Conteh due to injury, while Wolfsburg miss Christian Eriksen.
Our forecasting model leans towards a VfL Wolfsburg win, rating that match result with medium confidence. Given the attacking output of both clubs, the model also issues a firm call for more than 2.5 goals in the match, while anticipating that both teams will score.
Friday
Energie Cottbus vs 1. FC Nürnberg Eighth-placed Energie Cottbus have scored freely but remain fragile defensively, having conceded six goals in their three home outings and shipping three last weekend in a 3-1 defeat at SV Darmstadt 98. They host second-placed Nürnberg, who are unbeaten in six matches and have the division's leading scorer in Mohamed Alì Zoma, scorer of seven goals this season. Axel Borgmann, Erik Engelhardt and Julian Guttau are injured for Cottbus, while Nürnberg travel without Finn Becker, Kristian Mandic and Mikayil Faye. Our model leans towards a 1. FC Nürnberg win, alongside a high-confidence projection for more than 2.5 goals in the match.
Holstein Kiel vs Hertha BSC League leaders Hertha BSC arrive on 21 points with five straight victories, having produced 19 goals across seven games behind the form of Josip Brekalo. Bottom-placed Holstein Kiel sit 18th with just four points, are winless in six and have yet to keep a clean sheet this season, though they have drawn all three of their home fixtures 1-1. The model projects a Hertha BSC win, though it assigns low confidence to that call given Kiel's habit of securing home draws. A speculative exact scoreline projection of Holstein Kiel 1-2 Hertha BSC also carries low confidence.
Saturday
SpVgg Greuther Fürth vs Eintracht Braunschweig Fürth sit 15th with six points and have suffered from inconsistency, though top scorer Felix Klaus has found the net five times. Braunschweig arrive in 11th place on seven points following a 1-0 win against Holstein Kiel, but they remain prone to conceding quality opportunities. The model favours a SpVgg Greuther Fürth win, though only with low confidence, while expecting goals at both ends.
1. FC Kaiserslautern vs VfL Bochum Kaiserslautern sit sixth on 12 points and hold the division's tightest defensive record, keeping five clean sheets in seven matches and remaining unbeaten at home without conceding. Bochum sit 12th on seven points and have gone six games without a clean sheet after falling 1-0 to Arminia Bielefeld. Our model projects a 1. FC Kaiserslautern win, cautious with a low-confidence rating.
Hannover 96 vs FC St. Pauli Hannover 96 sit 13th after a 3-0 defeat away at 1. FC Magdeburg, with forward Mustapha Bundu sidelined through injury. Seventh-placed FC St. Pauli arrive following a 2-0 victory against Karlsruher SC, with forward Abdoulie Ceesay leading their line on three goals.
Sunday
Arminia Bielefeld vs VfL Osnabrück Bielefeld sit ninth on eight points after a 1-0 away victory at Bochum, driven by top scorer Joel Grodowski's five goals this season. Tenth-placed VfL Osnabrück sit on the same points tally following back-to-back 1-1 draws against Dynamo Dresden and Holstein Kiel.
Karlsruher SC vs SV Darmstadt 98 Karlsruher SC are 17th after three consecutive defeats without scoring a goal, and they must manage without injured top scorer Moritz Broschinski. Darmstadt occupy 14th position, coming off a 3-1 home win against Cottbus in which defender Aleksandar Vukotić continued his productive season.
Dynamo Dresden vs 1. FC Magdeburg Sixteenth-placed Dynamo Dresden have five points from seven games and are without injured pair Kenneth Schmidt and Lars Bünning. Fourth-placed Magdeburg have collected 13 points, winning 3-0 against Hannover last weekend with Emmanuel Iyoha taking his seasonal tally to five goals.
The table picture
Victory for Hertha BSC would ensure they retain their place at the summit of the 2. Bundesliga regardless of other outcomes. However, should Nürnberg take three points in Cottbus and Wolfsburg overcome Heidenheim, the chasing group behind Hertha could compress considerably heading into the second quarter of the campaign.
