Bundesliga 2, Matchday 3: Hertha Berlin and Nuremberg maintain perfect records, Kaiserslautern secure first win
Hertha Berlin continued their perfect start to the 2026/27 Bundesliga 2 season in an eight-goal thriller away to Eintracht Braunschweig, while Miroslav Klose's Nuremberg did the same with a convincing win over Arminia Bielefeld. Elsewhere, Kaiserslautern and Hannover secured their first wins of the campaign.
Matchday 3 results
Eintracht Braunschweig 3-5 Hertha Berlin
Goals: 1-0 Sturm 10’, 2-0 Ehlers 33’, 2-1 Þorsteinsson 44’, 2-2 Brekalo 45’+4, 2-3 Ehlers 53’ o.g., 2-4 Brekalo 69’ pen., 2-5 Victor Adewumi 87’, 3-5 Urbich 88’
Hertha continued their perfect start to the Bundesliga 2 season with victory in an eight-goal thriller at Braunschweig. The hosts stormed to an early two-goal lead through goals from Yann Sturm and Kevin Ehlers, but Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson and Josip Brekalo ensured the Old Lady were level at the break. The visitors then pushed on in the second 45. After forcing an Ehlers own-goal, Brekalo added a second from the spot and substitute Oluwaseun Victor Adewumi later got in on the act. Jan Urbich clawed one back for Braunschweig, but it proved little more than a consolation as they remain on three points.
Nuremberg 4-1 Arminia BielefeldGoals: 1-0 Zoma 11’, 2-0 Janisch 22’, 3-0 Markhiyev 38’, 4-0 Markhiyev 67’, 4-1 Wörl 76’
Nuremberg continued their 100 percent start to the campaign with a convincing win over Bielefeld to stay top of the table. The hosts were particularly efficient before the break, as Mohamed Alì Zoma broke the deadlock before Tim Janisch and Adam Markhiyev also struck. Midway through the second half, Markhiyev completed his brace and, while Marius Wörl scored a stunning late consolation for the visitors, the result was never in doubt.
Bochum 0-1 Osnabrück
Goals: 0-1 Badjie 4’
Osnabrück held on to their early lead at Bochum to claim their first win of the Bundesliga 2 season. The newly promoted side got off to a lightning-fast start courtesy of a fourth-minute rocket from Ismail Badjie. Buoyed by their advantage, Osnabrück thought they had scored a second before the interval, but Adrian Beck’s tidy finish was chalked off for offside. Bochum went close late on when Philipp Hofmann’s header rattled the crossbar, but an equaliser would not come for the Ruhr outfit.
Heidenheim 5-3 Dynamo Dresden
Goals: 0-1 Vermeij 30’, 1-1 Schöppner 67’, 1-2 Wagner 73’, 2-2 Müller o.g., 3-2 Mhamdi 87’, 4-2 Niehues 89’, 5-2 Breunig 90’+4, 5-3 Sterner 90’+7Red card: Keller 68’
Heidenheim produced a stunning late comeback to beat Dynamo Dresden in a seven-goal thriller. Vincent Vermeij put Dresden ahead after 30 minutes, but Jan Schöppner levelled midway through the second half. Dresden regained the lead through Robert Wagner before captain Thomas Keller was sent off in the 68th minute. An own goal from Friedrich Müller brought Heidenheim level, before Oualid Mhamdi, Julian Niehues and Maximilian Breunig struck in added time to complete a remarkable turnaround.
Karlsruhe 2-5 Wolfsburg
Goals: 1-0 Fukuda 7’, 1-1 Bernhardsson 10’, 2-1 Wanitzek 12’, 2-2 Reese 28’, 2-3 Souza 45’+2, 2-4 Wahl 88’, 2-5 Reese 90’+5
Wolfsburg twice came from behind to maintain their unbeaten start to the season with victory in Karlsruhe. The Baden-Württemberg side flew out of the gates early on, twice leading through Shio Fukuda and captain Marvin Wanitzek. However, both times they were pegged back by equalisers from Alexander Bernhardsson and Fabian Reese, before Vinicius Souza gave the Wolves the lead with a stunning long-range effort in first-half stoppage time. After the restart, Tobias Strobl’s men dominated proceedings before sealing the three points late on through captain Hauke Wahl, and another strike from Reese.
Energie Cottbus 3-4 Greuther Fürth
Goals: 1-0 Copado 6’, 1-1 Klaus 45’+3 (pen), 1-2 Doumbia 46’ (o.g.), 2-2 Ciğerci 70’, 2-3 Pohlmann 72’, 2-4 Klaus 80’, 3-4 Bogdanov 90’+4
Greuther Fürth got their first win of the season by coming from behind to edge a seven-goal thriller in Cottbus. The hosts led early through Lucas Copado before Felix Klaus levelled from the spot with the last kick off the first half. The Fürth captain then forced an own goal within 60 seconds of the restart to take the lead, but Cottbus restored parity through ex-Fürth man Tolcay Ciğerci. However, the Clover Leaves hit back twice in eight minutes, with Klaus getting his fifth goal of the campaign. Dmytro Bogdanov got one back late on for Cottbus, but it was too little, too late.
St. Pauli 1-2 Kaiserslautern
Goals: 0-1 Yardımcı 29’, 0-2 Takemeta 46’, 1-2 Ceesay 56’
Kaiserslautern picked up their first Bundesliga 2 win of the season as they prevailed at St. Pauli. The hosts were the better side before the break, but it was Torsten Lieberknecht's men who broke the deadlock around the half-hour mark through summer signing Erencan Yardımcı. Quick goals from substitutes marked the second period; within seconds of the restart, half-time introduction Thierry Tazemeta doubled Kaiserslautern’s advantage, before Abdoulie Ceesay gave Pauli hope straight after he was sent into the fray. Pauli pushed forward in hope of an equaliser, but couldn’t find it, meaning they are still without a victory this term.
Darmstadt 0-1 Hannover
Goals: 0-1 Gindorf 57’ (pen)Red card: Vukotić 20’
Hannover picked up their first win of the season after overcoming a resilient Darmstadt side. The 96ers’ job was made easier when Aleksandar Vukotić was shown a red card for a handball, which the referee deemed to prevent a goalscoring opportunity. Christian Titz’s men then pushed for the opening goal, and were eventually rewarded when Lars Gindorf converted from the spot after Lance Duijvestijn handled inside the area as the Lilies’ winless streak stretched to three games.
Magdeburg 2-0 Holstein Kiel
Goals: 1-0 Zukowski 72’, 2-0 Hyryläinen 81’
Two second-half goals secured Magdeburg successive wins against a Holstein Kiel side devoid of chances. The visitors did see their penalty overturned after Dominik Reimann and Phil Harres collided, but it was Magdeburg who capitalised deep in the second period with goals from Mateusz Zukowski and Luka Hyryläinen handing Kiel their first defeat of the season.
Watch: The top 5 goals from Matchday 3
