The 2026/27 2. Bundesliga season’s first Lower Saxony derby is here as Hannover host Wolfsburg. With Wolfsburg’s relegation and VfL Osnabrück’s promotion, Hannover and Eintracht Braunschweig are joined by more neighbors.
The biggest two clubs of the region will now go head-to-head in the derby-themed matchday 2. Earlier on Saturday, Nürnberg held Franconian derby bragging rights over Greuther Fürth after a thrilling encounter before a hard-fought Südwestderby ended goalless between Kaiserslautern and Karlsruhe.
Marcel Hartel starts days after completing his return to 2. Bundesliga, while Joakim Maehle, Matthias Svanberg and Yannick Gerhardt are back in Wolfsburg's XI.
Confirmed Hannover 96 vs. VfL Wolfsburg Lineups
Hannover: Weinkauf; Allgeier, Tomiak, Hugonet; Thordarson ©; Neubauer, Oudenne; Bundu, Taibi, Gindorf; Hartel
Wolfsburg: Zielinski; Maehle, Wahl ©, Souza, Kumbedi; Gerhardt; Damar, Rexhbecaj; Svanberg, Reese; Hornby