Hertha BSC vs. 1. FC Nürnberg

Preview, team news and predicted lineups as Hertha welcome Nürnberg to the Olympiastadion on Sunday afternoon.

Hertha BSC 

A stuttering start to 2026 has left Hertha’s promotion ambitions hanging by a thread. With just one win from their opening six matches of the calendar year, Stefan Leitl’s side have slipped to seventh in the table, now 10 points adrift of the promotion play-off spot. Without a dramatic turnaround, Die Alte Dame appear destined for a fourth consecutive season in the 2. Bundesliga.

Their most recent outing may well prove the nadir. A 5-2 defeat away at Paderborn exposed familiar structural flaws, with Hertha trailing 5-1 by the 68th minute in what was arguably their poorest 90 minutes of the campaign. Defensive disorganisation and a lack of midfield control left them chasing shadows for large spells, underlining why their push for the top three has stalled.

Leitl has demanded a clear and immediate reaction:

“We need to play better football in all areas of the team: more focused, more disciplined. We need to bring more energy,”

There is at least positive precedent. Hertha won the reverse fixture 3-0 at the Max-Morlock-Stadion in September. However, home form is now a concern – they are winless in their last five matches at the Olympiastadion and urgently need to re-establish it as a fortress.

Team news: Diego Demme, Maurice Krattenmacher, Kennet Eichhorn and Deyo Zeefuik are still unavailable. 

Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Ernst (GK) – Gechter, Leistner, Dardai, Karbownik – Dudziak, Seguin – Reese, Cuisance, Brekalo – Kownacki 

1. FC Nürnberg 

Nürnberg’s season has steadied considerably after a turbulent opening phase. Now eighth on 30 points, they sit comfortably clear of the relegation picture and within touching distance of the teams above them. The club hierarchy recently underlined their belief in Miroslav Klose by handing the head coach a new deal – a sign of stability returning to the Max-Morlock-Stadion.

A 1-1 draw away at Bochum last time out extended their recent upturn in resilience, even if victory narrowly eluded them. Mohamed Ali Zoma continued his excellent run of form, scoring his fifth goal in three matches to put Nürnberg ahead before Francis Onyeka equalised from the penalty spot. On balance, a point was a fair outcome.

Klose is targeting the opportunity to narrow the gap to Hertha:

“It’s another game against a team close to us in the table. We want to close the gap, which is why we want to win there. The game will be very complicated, as we don’t know how they will react to the Paderborn game. We have to focus on ourselves.”

Despite their improved league position, Nürnberg’s recent numbers suggest room for growth. They have won just once in their last five fixtures and are winless in five away matches. Their last victory at the Olympiastadion dates back to 2014.

Team news: Rafael Lubach and Adam Markhiev are suspended. Rabby Nzingoula remains a doubt.

Predicted lineup (4-4-2 Diamond): Reichert (GK) – von der Hitz, Gruber, Lochoshvili, Yilmaz – Baack – Becker, Justvan – Maboulou – Grimaldi, Zoma