The new football season has just begun, and everyone is looking forward to a fierce fight for the promotion. But who is the favorite in this race?
In our Bundesliga 2 season preview, we have analyzed 5 promotion contenders teams so that you can know what to expect about them in the season 2023/24.
1. FC Köln
We start this Bundesliga 2 preview with the clear favorite. “Die Geißböcke” have been relegated from the Bundesliga, but it’s likely to be a short-lived situation.
In the summer transfer window, the club lost key defender Jeff Chabot and last season’s top scorer Davie Selke. However, the team has also strengthened quite well, including for free: Luca Waldschmidt joined as a free agent after his contract with Wolfsburg expired.

Majority of the key players remained with the club and are quite capable of returning to the Bundesliga right away.
So, in our Bundesliga 2 season preview, we put them as a favorite in the fight for the top three.
Season prediction: 1. FC Köln will take a place in the top three.
Starting match: 1. FC Köln – Hamburger SV
Fortuna Dusseldorf
Dusseldorf team is a constant contender for the last seasons. After relegation from the Bundesliga in season 2019/2020, “Fortunen” always tries to back into the higher league. The previous season they finished in 3rd place and lost in a penalty shootout to Bochum, who saved their place in the Bundesliga. Daniel Thioune’s team played well all season, but a poor performance in the second playoff match cost them a place in the first division.

The team sold Christos Tzolis to Club Brugge and has recruited a lot of youngsters in the summer transfer window, but the main squad will also need to be strengthened with more experienced players in order to cling to a place in the top three.
In our review of the Bundesliga 2 season, we will place them right after FC Köln, as the team is ready for promotion, but is not yet able to compete on equal terms with the team that has just returned from the Bundesliga.
Season prediction: Fortuna has all the chances to fight for the promotion, but they must strengthen their squad.
Starting match: Darmstadt – Fortuna
Hamburger
“Die Rothosen” was very close to promotion last season. The team from Hamburg was only 5 points behind the 3rd place. Although at the start of the season, the team was confidently ranked in the top three and even climbed to the 1st position.

If we talk about transfers, Hamburger sold one of its key players to Union Berlin, with László Bénes leaving for the German capital. Instead, the once very promising Davie Selke, who was released by FC Köln for free, moved to Hamburg as a free agent. Adam Karabec, who has already left Sparta Praha to gain experience in Germany, also arrived on loan.
Hamburger falls a little short of the first two in our season prediction, but the team will definitely fight until the last matches.
Season prediction: “Der Dino” has all the chances to be promoted in the new season of Bundesliga 2. The team was solid last season and had great chances in the next one, but it’s something we talk about every season and it’s time to turn dreams into reality.
Starting match: 1. FC Köln – Hamburger SV
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher is getting closer and closer to getting into the top three every year. Last season, the team had its ups and downs, but at the end of the season they showed a very mature game, almost jumping into the last car and putting Fortuna and Hamburger in the fight for 3rd place.

During the summer transfer window, the team unloaded its roster a bit from aged players, such as Lars Stindl, who finished his career in his home team. Instead, they strengthened their roster with one of Wehen Wiesbaden’s best players of recent seasons, Robin Heußer. They also loaned out a promising Basel forward, Andrin Hunziker, and bought out David Herold’s contract from Bayern Munich.
Season prediction: The team can fight for the first three positions until the last rounds, but everything will depend on their stability.
Starting match: Karlsruher SC – 1. FC Nürnberg
Paderborn
In our Bundesliga 2 season preview, we can’t mention Paderborn, who is among one of the contenders for promotion almost every year. Last season, Lukas Kwasniok’s team finished in 7th place, 11 points behind the third place, but the season for this team turned out to be rather average. After all, during the season before last, they took 6th place with a margin of 11 points, but last season, it was enough to take only 7th place.

In the summer transfer window, the team let go of several important players, including Sirlord Conteh, who left for Heidenheim for about 1 million euros, while Robert Leipertz went to Magdeburg for free.
Instead, the team acquired the experienced Sven Michel from Augsburg, took Luca Herrmann (Dynamo Dresden) and Felix Götze (RW Essen) for free and added a few more players.
Season prediction: Paderborn will fight for the promotion place this season, but their result may not be as good as expected.
Starting match: Hertha – Paderborn