Dynamo Dresden and Kaiserslautern will contest Bundesliga 2's promotion/ relegation play-off. - © Christian Verheyen/Christian Verheyen

2. Bundesliga

Dynamo Dresden to face Kaiserslautern in Bundesliga 2 promotion/ relegation play-off

5 days ago

Dynamo Dresden will play two-time Bundesliga champions Kaiserslautern over two legs in Bundesliga 2's promotion/ relegation play-off.

Nine points clear of the automatic relegation places but six points adrift of outright safety with one final round of fixtures still to play, Dresden are guaranteed to finish 16th - Bundesliga 2's relegation play-off spot. Kaiserslautern have sealed third place in Germany's 3. Liga, meanwhile, securing the right to play for promotion.

Dresden have a second bite of the cherry in their bid to avoid immediate relegation to 3. Liga. - IMAGO/Michael Taeger/IMAGO/Jan Huebner

Dresden, who spent one season back in 3. Liga before being promoted as champions last term, are away for the first leg on 20 May (kick-off: 8.30pm CEST). They welcome the Red Devils to the Rudolf Harbig Stadion for the second leg on 24 May (kick-off: 8.30pm CEST).

For their part, Kaiserslautern - Bundesliga champions in 1990/91 and 1997/98 - are bidding to end a run of four straight seasons in the third division. They recently parted ways with head coach Marco Antwerpen, opting to install Dirk Schuster - who achieved back-to-back promotions to the Bundesliga with Darmstadt in 2015 - as head coach ahead of the play-offs.

Kaiserslautern are the only team in history to win the Bundesliga as a promoted club. - Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images

In line with recent UEFA rule changes affecting the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League, the away-goals rule has been scrapped. The rule was applied to determine the winner of a two-legged knockout tie in instances where the two teams had scored the same number of goals on aggregate over the two games. If one team had scored more away goals, they would prevail.

The winner of the two-legged tie will play Bundesliga 2 football in 2022/23, with the loser part of the 20-team 3. Liga. Ingolstadt - winners of last season's play-off - and Erzgebirge Aue have have already been relegated from Bundesliga 2 automatically. Magdeburg and Eintracht Braunschweig - 3. Liga champions and runners-up respectively - take their places.