Darmstadt vs Nurnberg Prediction 23.01.2026 | 2. Bundesliga

Darmstadt are currently enjoying a highly productive 2. Bundesliga campaign and appear determined to push open the door back to the top flight, as they sit comfortably in the promotion play-off spot (3rd), level on points with second-placed Elversberg.

Die Lilien head into Matchday 19 in scintillating form, having suffered just one defeat in their last ten outings across all competitions. They also kicked off the 2026 calendar year in dramatic fashion, sharing the spoils in a sensational six-goal away thriller against Bochum.

Renowned for their attacking prowess, Darmstadt boast the second-most potent offense in the division, averaging 1.78 goals per game. Florian Kohfeldt’s side have been equally formidable on home soil, maintaining a flawless record at the Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor, where they remain unbeaten with six wins and three draws.

In terms of team news, forwards Killian Corredor and Bartosz Bialek remain sidelined due to hip and ankle injuries respectively, while right-back Matthias Bader is also unavailable and will miss Friday’s clash against Nürnberg.

Meanwhile, Nurnberg make the trip to Hesse occupying a respectable mid-table position, currently sitting eighth in the 2. Bundesliga standings after collecting 25 points from 18 matches played.

Eager to force their way into the promotion conversation, Miroslav Klose’s side appear to be building momentum following a thrilling 3-2 victory over second-placed Elversberg in their first outing after the winter break — a performance that underlined their character, resilience, and attacking intent.

Despite enjoying back-to-back league victories, Der Altmeister will need to tighten up defensively, as their tally of 25 goals conceded marks them out as one of the more fragile backlines among the teams in the top half of the table — a worrying statistic ahead of a visit to a Darmstadt side renowned for its attacking threat.

Nurnberg are also dealing with notable injury setbacks, as key forward Adriano Grimaldi and highly rated Sporting CP loanee Paulinho remain sidelined, significantly limiting their attacking options ahead of this challenging fixture.