Six expulsions in eleven games
Red curse continues: BTSV continues to weaken itself
November 3, 2025 – 2:04 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Eintracht Braunschweig loses in Nuremberg – and once again a player. The increasing number of red cards and failures is causing problems for the BTSV.
An uncomfortable pre-Christmas period is looming at Eintracht Braunschweig. After the 0:3 defeat in the Niedersachsensenderby against Hannover 96, the BTSV also came away empty-handed on Saturday against 1. FC Nürnberg (1:2). It was the sixth defeat in the last seven games in the 2nd Bundesliga.
This means in the table: Before the direct duel with VfL Bochum with the same points (Sunday, 1.30 p.m.), only the better goal difference separates Eintracht from Greuther Fürth in relegation place 16. The lead over a direct relegation place is now only three points.
What was also quite unfortunate was the recent sending off in Nuremberg, which now seems to be a must in Eintracht’s game. In stoppage time, Kevin Ehlers (90th + 4/yellow-red) received the sixth red card from a Braunschweig professional in only the eleventh game of the season.
According to “Sky”, BTSV has the second highest value in the history of the integrated second league. Only Carl Zeiss Jena in the 1995/96 season had collected more red cards (8) than Eintracht after eleven match days. At the end of the season, according to a fan portal, Jena had a total of 13 expulsions – at the end of the first half there were ten. If Eintracht continues like this, this negative record will fall.
However, the consequences of the expulsions are much more depressing for the BTSV than the raw numbers. The resulting loss of substance contributed to the ongoing misery. Important players are often out due to injuries or, like the recent top performer Lino Tempelmann, can only play when they are injured. Time and time again, the team weakens itself through the sending offs and the subsequent suspensions.
“That explains a bit of our series at the moment,” said captain Sven Köhler after the late red card for Ehlers, who was sent off to shower early on matchday 1 after 54 minutes of play, and added: “We’re a bit unlucky.”
Coach Heiner Backhaus even saw the Ehlers red as “the most tragic thing” that he took away from the Nuremberg game. Because: The coach is slowly but surely running out of options in the defense center. Lukas Frenkert and Frederik Jäkel are out injured, Ehlers is now suspended. “Now we are without the only trained central defender we have,” complained Backhaus.