Bundesliga 2, Matchday 1 highlights: Two seven-goal thrillers and a hat-trick on gripping opening weekend
Nuremberg flew out of the gates with a 3-0 victory over Dynamo Dresden courtesy of a Mohamed Alì Zoma hat-trick, whilst Heidenheim's quest for an immediate Bundesliga return started with a 4-3 victory over newly promoted Osnabrück. Braunschweig also had their scoring boots on in a 6-1 thrashing of Magdeburg.
Matchday 1 results
Nuremberg 3–0 Dynamo DresdenGoals: 1-0 Zoma 9’, 2-0 Zoma 45’+3, 3-0 Zoma 75’
Nuremberg took an early lead through the electric Mohamed Alì Zoma, who was a threat all afternoon and scored a deserved second shortly before the break, tapping home from close range. Dresden started the second half well but couldn’t pull a goal back, with the Club then slipping into cruise control before striking the hammer blow 15 minutes from time. Zoma stepped up to take a spot-kick after Rafael Lubach was fouled, and although his initial effort was saved, he bundled home the rebound to complete his hat-trick and secure all three points.
Magdeburg 1-6 Eintracht Braunschweig
Goals: 0-1 Opoku 15’, 0-2 Urbich 21’, 0-3 Urbich 26’, 0-4 Can Aydin 44’ (pen.), 1-4 Zukowski 49’, 1-5 Di Benedetto 50’, 1-6 Flick 61’
Red card: Bockhorn 31’
Braunschweig produced a dominant display in a blink-and-you-miss-it encouter at Magdeburg. Aaron Opoku opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour, before Jan Urbich struck twice in five minutes to put the visitors firmly in control. Mehmet Can Aydin added a fourth from the penalty spot just before half-time. Magdeburg pulled one back through Mateusz Zukowski early in the second half, but Braunschweig responded immediately through Samuele Di Benedetto before Florian Flick completed the rout on 61 minutes.
Heidenheim 4-3 Osnabrück
Goals: 1-0 Zivzivadze 10’, 1-1 Wiemann 23’, 2-1 Costly 29’, 2-2 Kopacz 34’, 3-2 Schöppner 45’+2, 4-2 Pieringer 89’, 4-3 Meissner 90’+2 (pen.)
Heidenheim claimed a narrow victory over Bundesliga 2 newcomers Osnabrück in an entertaining contest at Voith-Arena. Budu Zivzivadze opened the scoring after 10 minutes, only for Osnabrück to respond moments later through Niklas Wiemann. Marcel Costly restored Heidenheim’s lead after half an hour, but a stunning strike from David Kopacz soon cancelled that out. The hosts had too much in the end for their newly-promoted opponents, Marvin Pieringer’s late goal proving to be the difference.
Bochum 0-1 Hertha Berlin
Goals: 0-1 Grönning 39’
Hertha Berlin collected the first points of the new season after edging past Bochum in the 2026/27 curtain-raiser. It was a hard-fought match throughout, with chances few and far between in the first half, but the visitors managed to move in front when Soufian Gouram’s through ball found Sebastian Grönning, who dinked it over the goalkeeper and into the net. Bochum were much improved after the interval but were ultimately unable to find an equaliser.
Energie Cottbus 3-1 Hannover
Goals: 1-0 Ciğerci 14’, 1-1 Neubauer 28’, 2-1 Ciğerci 71’ (pen.), 3-1 Butler 76’
Cottbus marked their Bundesliga 2 return after a 12-year absence with an impressive victory against promotion hopefuls Hannover. Tolcay Ciğerci sent the hosts into an early lead with a deflected free-kick before Hannover responded through Maurice Neubauer’s thunderous effort. Marcel Lotka’s heroics in goal kept the tie level heading into the break, before Ciğerci’s converted penalty and Justin Butler’s superb strike secured an opening weekend victory for the returning Cottbus.
Wolfsburg 0-0 Kaiserslautern
Wolfsburg had to settle for a point in their first Bundesliga 2 match since the 1996/97 season. Kaiserslautern got off to a sprightly start, Naatan Skyttä engineering a chance that Saël Kumbedi cleared off the line. The Wolves then threatened through new signing Fraser Hornby, who was denied by a remarkable challenge by Maxwell Gyamfi. In the second half, the hosts continued to dominate possession, but it was the Red Devils who came closest to a breakthrough goal, Skyttä forcing young ’keeper Jakub Zielinski into a brilliant save.
St. Pauli 1-1 Greuther Fürth
Goals: 1-0 Mathisen 46’, 1-1 Klaus 52’
After two successive seasons in the top flight, St. Pauli’s return to Bundesliga 2 under new coach Marcel Rapp was not as joyous as they had hoped. Stellar goalkeeping performances at both ends from Ben Voll and Florian Hellstern ensured the deadlock remained intact at the break, before Pauli broke it minutes after the restart, with new signings Branimir Hrgota and Marcus Mathisen combining from a corner. Fürth veteran Felix Klaus soon hit back with a composed finish minutes later, which proved to be the game’s final goal despite valiant efforts from both sides in search of a winner.
Darmstadt 2-2 Holstein Kiel
Goals: 0-1 Balzi 8’, 0-2 Harres 42’, 1-2 Lee 76’, 2-2 Vukotić 86’
Kiel started brightly as summer signing Guillermo Balzi tucked home early on after showing good composure. Phil Harres then added a second shortly before the break as he nodded home a delicate cross. After the restart, both sides had their moments, but in the end Darmstadt found a way back into the match when Ho-jae Lee fired home from a tight angle on the edge of the box. Aleksandar Vukotić completed the comeback just minutes before the end when he rose highest to head home from a corner.
Karlsruhe 2-1 Arminia Bielefeld
Goals: 1-0 Broschinski 35’, 2-0 Broschinski 78’, 2-1 Mehlem 80’
Despite hitting the woodwork inside the first 10 minutes through Jannik Rochelt, Bielefeld found themselves behind at the break as Moritz Broschinski showed remarkable composure in the box to fire home at the near post. Rochelt struck the bar again just two minutes later as Karlsruhe went into the break with the lead. Karlsruhe earned some breathing space with a Broschinski header from a corner, but Bielefeld immediately hit back through Marvin Mehlem. It forced a nervy finale, but ultimately the hosts held on to full time.
Watch: The top five goals from Matchday 1!
