Schalke travel to Paderborn on the back of a dominant 4-1 win against bottom side Preußen Münster last weekend. - © IMAGO/Adrian Schlüter

2. Bundesliga

Bundesliga 2 leaders Schalke travel to Paderborn for a potential promotion decider

20.04.2026

Promotion hopefuls Paderborn and Schalke meet this weekend, with crucial points on the line in the race for the top spots. With the season entering its final weeks, the two frontrunners know that any slip-up on Matchday 31 could prove costly.

Schalke currently lead the way in Bundesliga 2 with 61 points from their 30 matches, while Paderborn aren't far behind on 58.

With the two top teams guaranteed to be promoted automatically, the leaders know a win at the Home Deluxe Arena will all but confirm their return to the Bundesliga after three seasons away.

It was a close-fought encounter when these sides last met, in November 2025. - IMAGO/Stefan Brauer/Brauer-Fotoagentur

The chasing pack will be watching Sunday's top-of-the-table clash with great interest, as Schalke and Paderborn are far from the only teams with a realistic chance of getting promoted.

Indeed, both Elversberg and Hannover, currently on 55 and 54 points, respectively, can bridge the gap to the leaders, while fifth-placed Darmstadt (on 50 points) remain in the hunt for the promotion play-off spot.

For Schalke, it's been a remarkable transformation under head coach Miron Muslić, who has brought the club back from the brink of relegation to the third tier.

Watch: Schalke's win over Paderborn on Matchday 14

Schalke's resurgence is built on a solid defensive foundation, with a league-low 26 goals conceded this season. By the same stage last term, the Royal Blues had let in twice that amount.

By contrast, Paderborn have the joint-best attacking record in the division, with 52 goals scored. Wingers Filip Bilbija and Laurin Curda have a combined 21 goals between them this term, while on-loan striker Steffen Tigges has also played his part with six. The goals are well spread across the team, as 11 players have scored two or more in the league to date.

Both Paderborn and Schalke are unbeaten in their last five outings, with the latter winning their last three matches in a row. This included a potentially season-defining 2-1 away win in Elversberg, despite going down to 10 men in the second half.

Paderborn dropped points on Matchday 30 against promotion rivals Hannover. - IMAGO/Noah Wedel

In winning that clash, Schalke proved that they can defeat a promotion rival on the road. Paderborn, by contrast, missed the chance to do the same, after drawing against Hannover.

Should they find a way to defeat Schalke this time around and move level on points with the league leaders, belief will surely skyrocket heading into the final three matches of the season.

With Elversberg and Hannover both waiting in the wings, neither side can afford to slip up this late into the campaign. The promotion race could be about to take its most dramatic turn yet.