2018–19 2. Bundesliga

45th season of the second-tier football league in Germany

Football league season

The 2018–19 2. Bundesliga was the 45th season of the 2. Bundesliga. It began on 3 August 2018 and concluded on 19 May 2019.^[1]

1. FC Köln and SC Paderborn were automatically promoted to the Bundesliga; Union Berlin were promoted after winning the Bundesliga relegation play-offs. 1. FC Magdeburg and MSV Duisburg were automatically relegated to the 3. Liga, while FC Ingolstadt 04 were also relegated to the 3. Liga after losing a playoff against SV Wehen Wiesbaden of that league.

Season

Promotion Battle

Before the start of the season, Bundesliga relegations 1. FC Köln and Hamburger SV were considered the biggest favourites for promotion. In the first round, both fulfilled this role: Hamburger SV was able to get just ahead of Herbstmeister, 1. FC Union Berlin followed after a round without defeat, including 10 draws, in third place. While FC St. Pauli, 1. FC Heidenheim and Holstein Kiel were gradually eliminated from the field of the chasers, the newly promoted SC Paderborn 07 advanced to the promotion places thanks to a strong back-series (1st place with 32 points in the back-round table). After 32 days of play, Köln was crowned 2. Bundesliga champion for the fourth time and celebrated the re-entry into the Bundesliga; in the end, Köln recorded the most victories and scored the most goals. Hamburger SV, on the other hand, played a disastrous return round (15th place with 19 points in the back-round table), which finally resulted in the missed re-emergence one match day before the end; the fight for second place became a long-distance duel between Paderborn and Union Berlin on the last day of the match. In the end, Paderborn managed to make it to the Bundesliga on the last day of the season despite a 1-3 defeat in Dresden, Union Berlin finished third in the standings and competed in the promotion delegation against VfB Stuttgart. After a 2-2 draw in Stuttgart and a 0-0 draw at home, Union Berlin moved up to the Bundesliga for the first time thanks to the away goals rule.^[2][3]

Relegation battle

After the first promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, 1. FC Magdeburg had a first appearance with the direct relegation, which was fixed on the 33rd match day. In addition to Magdeburg, MSV Duisburg was also relegated after only two seasons in the second-class. On the last day of the match, SV Sandhausen secured direct class position with a 2-2 draw at SSV Jahn Regensburg, FC Ingolstadt 04 closed the season on the 16th place in the table after a 2-4 defeat in Heidenheim and competed in the relegation delegation against SV Wehen Wiesbaden. After a 2-1 in Wiesbaden, Ingolstadt lost in the home game with 2:3 and was relegated to the 3rd league due to the away goals rule.^[4]

Teams

Aue

Berlin

Bielefeld

Bochum

Darmstadt

Dresden

Duisburg

Fürth

Hamburg

Heidenheim

Ingolstadt

Kiel

Köln

Magdeburg

Paderborn

Regensburg

Sandhausen

St. Pauli

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Locations of the 2018–19 2. Bundesliga teams

Team changes

Stadiums and locations

Personnel and kits

Managerial changes

League table

Source: DFB
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head goals scored; 7) Head-to-head away goals scored; 8) Away goals scored; 9) Play-off.^[39]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Results

Source: DFB
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Promotion play-offs

All times are CEST (UTC+2).

First leg

23 May 2019 (2019-05-23)

20:30

Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart

Attendance: 58,619

Referee: Bastian Dankert

Second leg

27 May 2019 (2019-05-27)

20:30

Stadion An der Alten Försterei, Berlin

Attendance: 22,012

Referee: Christian Dingert

2–2 on aggregate. Union Berlin won on away goals and were promoted to the Bundesliga, while VfB Stuttgart were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga.

Relegation play-offs

All times are CEST (UTC+2).

First leg

24 May 2019 (2019-05-24)

18:15

Brita-Arena, Wiesbaden

Attendance: 7,698

Referee: Guido Winkmann

Second leg

28 May 2019 (2019-05-28)

18:15

Audi Sportpark, Ingolstadt

Attendance: 12,420

Referee: Frank Willenborg

4–4 on aggregate. Wehen Wiesbaden won on away goals and are promoted to the 2. Bundesliga, while FC Ingolstadt are relegated to the 3. Liga.

Top scorers

Number of teams by state

Highs of the season

• The highest victory with seven goals difference was the 8:1 of the 1. FC Köln against Dynamo Dresden on the 13th matchday, which with nine goals was also the most goal-rich game.^[41]
• The most goal-scoring draws were with eight goals:
  • the 4:4 of SC Paderborn 07 against 1. FC Magdeburg on the 6th matchday^[42]
  • the 4:4 of SC Paderborn 07 against Holstein Kiel on the 13th matchday^[43]
  • the 4:4 of MSV Duisburg against 1. FC Köln on the 26th matchday^[44]
• The most goal-scoring matchday was the 26th matchday from 15 to 18 March and 10 April 2019 with 38 goals.
• 1. FC Union Berlin remained the only team in German professional football in the 2018–19 season undefeated in 17 consecutive games.

Useful Information

• With the first relegations of Hamburger SV from the Bundesliga in the pre-season, two Hamburg city derbies between Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli took place for the first time this season in the 2. Bundesliga and again since the 2010–11 Bundesliga two Hamburg city derbies. In the first local derby, the Hamburger SV had the home right, the game ended 0-0.^[45] The return match at FC St. Pauli on 10 March 2019 was won 4-0 by Hamburger SV.^[46]
• In June 2018, the 2. Bundesliga relegations Eintracht Braunschweig and 1. FC Kaiserslautern received a commitment of a supporting donation of €600,000. Each club of the 2017–18 2. Bundesliga season had paid €66,666 into a pot independently of the DFL in order to make it easier for the two former 2. Bundesliga teams to make a fresh start in the 3. Liga. This was already decided in April, as the majority of the clubs were still involved in the relegation fight until shortly before the end of the season.^[47][48]
• On the 11th matchday, two former European Cup winners met for the first time in the 2. Bundesliga with 1. FC Magdeburg and Hamburger SV (0:1),^[49] for both of them it was also the first season in the 2. Bundesliga.
• For the 2018–19 season, "Derbystar" "Brillant APS" replaced Adidas "Torfabrik" as the official match ball of the 1st and 2. Bundesliga.^[50]

References

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3. "Mario Gomez on target for VfB Stuttgart but Union Berlin earn promotion/relegation play-off advantage" (in German). BUNDESLIGA. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
4. Lehmann, Martin (28 May 2019). "Zweitliga-Relegation: Wehen Wiesbaden steigt in 2. Bundesliga auf" (in German). EUROSPORT. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
5. "Arminia Bielefeld verabschiedet sich von Ausrüster Saller". nw.de. Zeitungsverlag Neue Westfälische GmbH & Co. KG. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
6. "Von der Kieler Förde an den Rhein: Markus Anfang wird neuer Trainer des 1. FC Köln". bundesliga.com. 17 April 2018.
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8. "Union Berlin trennt sich von Hofschneider". kicker.de. 17 April 2018.
9. "Urs Fischer wird neuer Trainer von Union Berlin" [Urs Fischer becomes the new coach of Union Berlin]. kicker.de (in German). 1 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
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11. "Aue stellt seinen neuen Cheftrainer Meyer vor" [Aue presents new head coach Meyer]. kicker.de (in German). 14 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
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14. "Maik Walpurgis ist neuer Cheftrainer der SGD". dynamo-dresden.de. 11 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
15. "FCI trennt sich von Cheftrainer Stefan Leitl und Co-Trainer Andre Mijatovic". fcingolstadt.de. 22 September 2018.
16. "Bestätigt: Nouri wird neuer Trainer beim FC Ingolstadt". kicker.de. 24 September 2018.
17. "MSV entbindet Ilia Gruev und Yontcho Arsov von ihren Aufgaben – Neuer Coach zeitnah". msv-duisburg.de. 1 October 2018. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
18. "Torsten Lieberknecht neuer Chef-coach – Vorstellung live auf YouTube". msv-duisburg.de. 1 October 2018.
19. "Sandhausen stellt Kocak frei". kicker.de. 8 October 2018.
20. "Koschinat ist neuer Chef-Trainer des SV Sandhausen". svs1916.de.de. 15 October 2018. Archived from the original on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
21. "HSV trennt sich von Trainer Titz – Hannes Wolf übernimmt". hsv.de. 23 October 2018.
22. "1. FC Magdeburg stellt Chef- und Co-Trainer frei". 1.fc-magdeburg.de. 12 November 2018.
23. "Michael Oenning wird Cheftrainer des 1. FC Magdeburg". 1.fc-magdeburg.de. 14 November 2018. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
24. "FC Ingolstadt trennt sich von Trainer Alexander Nouri". sportschau.de. 26 November 2018.
25. "Nach dem HSV-Spiel übernimmt Jens Keller bis Sommer!". fcingolstadt.de. 30 November 2018. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
26. "Arminia stellt Saibene und Rump frei". arminia-bielefeld.de. 10 December 2018. Archived from the original on 11 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
27. "Uwe Neuhaus wird neuer DSC-Cheftrainer". arminia-bielefeld.de. 10 December 2018. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
28. "„Müssen für eine Veränderung sorgen"". greuther-fuerth.de. 4 February 2019.
29. "Leitl neuer Kleeblatt-Coach". greuther-fuerth.de. 5 February 2019.
30. "SV 98 stellt Dirk Schuster frei". sv98.de (in German). 18 February 2019. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
31. "Mit "Malocher-Mentalität" und "ehrlicher Arbeit"". sv98.de (in German). 24 February 2019.
32. "Dynamo Dresden beurlaubt Maik Walpurgis". dynamo-dresden.de. 24 February 2019. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
33. "Cristian Fiel wird neuer Cheftrainer der SGD". dynamo-dresden.de. 24 February 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
34. "FCI geht ohne Jens Keller und Thomas Stickroth in den Saisonendspurt". fcingolstadt.de. 2 April 2019.
35. "Mit Tomas Oral und Michael Henke zum Klassenerhalt". fcingolstadt.de. 3 April 2019.
36. "Der FC St. Pauli stellt Uwe Stöver und Markus Kauczinski mit sofortiger Wirkung frei". fcstpauli.de. 10 April 2019. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
37. "St. Pauli trennt sich von Kauczinski - Luhukay übernimmt". kicker.de. 10 April 2019.
38. "FC part company with Markus Anfang". fc.de. 1. FC Köln. 27 April 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
39. "Spielordnung" [Match rules] (PDF). DFL.de (in German). Deutsche Fußball Liga. 1 July 2018. p. 3. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
40. "2. Bundesliga Torjäger 2018/19" [2. Bundesliga goalscorers 2018–19]. kicker.de (in German).
41. "13. Spieltag Stadion RheinEnergieStadion, Köln Zuschauer 50.000" (in German). sport.de. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
42. "6. Spieltag Stadion Benteler-Arena, Paderborn Zuschauer 11.525" (in German). sport.de. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
43. "13. Spieltag Stadion Benteler-Arena, Paderborn Zuschauer 10.035" (in German). sport.de. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
44. "26. Spieltag Stadion Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg Zuschauer 25.675" (in German). sport.de. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
45. "8. Spieltag Stadion Volksparkstadion, Hamburg Zuschauer 57.000" (in German). sport.de. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
46. "25. Spieltag Stadion Millerntor-Stadion, Hamburg Zuschauer 29.226" (in German). sport.de. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
47. Rosen, Florian (6 September 2019). "Kritik an Finanzspritze für FCK und Braunschweig" (in German). LIGA-DREI.DE. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
48. "Zweitligaklubs helfen Absteigern aus der Klemme" (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
49. "11. Spieltag Stadion MDCC-Arena, Magdeburg Zuschauer 23.132" (in German). sport.de. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
50. "Derbystar präsentiert offiziellen Spielball der Bundesliga und 2. Bundesliga für die Saison 2019/20" (in German). BUNDESLIGA. Retrieved 7 July 2021.