2. Bundesliga preview: Eintracht Braunschweig vs. Hertha BSC

Winless in their last four outings, the appointment of Lars Kornetka has yet to spark a sustained upturn, with just one victory from his first five matches in charge. As things stand, Die Löwen sit 16th on 30 points and firmly entrenched in the relegation battle. Their most recent outing did little to ease concerns, as they fell to a heavy 4-1 defeat away at VfL Bochum.

Defensive frailties were once again exposed, with a lack of organisation and discipline proving costly. Kornetka remains realistic but optimistic about the challenge ahead: ” That’s the status quo now: we have to get points. What gives me a lot of hope is that you can see that you can beat anyone in this league, that we can compete, and that we have phases in the game where we can be dominant and dictate the play.

” Hertha, meanwhile, continue to flatter to deceive. Just when momentum appears to be building, Die Alte Dame stumble again, repeatedly missing opportunities to close the gap on the promotion contenders. As a result, they have spent much of the campaign on the fringes of the top positions.

Despite this inconsistency, head coach Stefan Leitl is expected to remain in charge heading into next season, with the club set for a fourth consecutive 2. Bundesliga campaign. Last time out offered another example of their frustrations.