2. Bundesliga 23/24 Season Preview: Holstein Kiel

Holstein Kiel are in an interesting position heading into the upcoming 2. Bundesliga season. They are one of the teams who could be a sneaky dark horse in the race for promotion, but they must right the wrongs from the previous campaign.

Last season promised so much, finishing 8th despite the yo-yo type season had to feel like an accomplishment. Still, something had to give and change seemed imminent.

Many of the experienced players are being turfed aside for a bold, fresh new look. One that could be the making of current coach Marcel Rapp, or the one that ends his time at the northern club.

As the season is only a few weeks away, let’s see what Holstein Kiel have been up to in the lead up to the new campaign.

Team Details

Stadion (Capacity): Holstein Stadion (15,034)

Kit manufacturer: Puma

Nicknames: Die Störche (The Storks)

Coach: Marcel Rapp

Captain: TBD

Signings & Departures

Signings: Marko Ivezic (Vozdovac), Carl Johansson (Goteborg), Lasse Rosenboom (Werder Bremen U23), Nicolai Remberg (Preußen Münster), Ba-Muaka Simakala (VfL Osnabrück), Marcel Engelhardt (FSV Zwickau), Tom Rothe (Borussia Dortmund), Aurel Wagbe (VfL Wolfsburg U19), Shūto Machino (Shonan Bellmare), Niklas Niehoff (Holstein Kiel II), Colin Kleine-Bekel (Holstein Kiel II), Nico Carrera (FSV Zwickau, loan return), Joshua Mees (Jahn Regensburg, loan return)

Departures: Fin Bartels (retired), Robin Himmelmann (without club), Aleksandar Ignjovski (without club), Mikkel Kirkeskov (without club), Julian Korb (Borussia Mönchengladbach II), Simon Lorenz (FC Ingolstadt 04), Alexander Mühling (SV Sandhausen), Marvin Obuz (1. FC Köln, end of loan), Fabian Reese (Hertha BSC), Stefan Thesker (without club), Hauke Wahl (St. Pauli), Noah Awuku (Eintracht Norderstedt), Ahmet Arslan (1. FC Magdeburg), Kwasi Wriedt (VfL Osnabrück, loan), Marcel Benger (SC Verl)

With the up and down nature of Holstein Kiel in the 2022/23 seasons, change seemed inevitable and the departures were quite drastic. Fabian Reese had already signed on the dotted line to join Hertha BSC during January, and someone that Kiel is going to have a difficult time replacing the 11 goals and 10 assists he produced in the previous campaign. The hope is Ba-Muaka Simakala can be the creative outlet. Simakala joined from Osnabrück where he had a fantastic season, scoring 18 times on his way to helping Osnabrück gain promotion.

The defence was always going to be under the microscope after a frankly pitiful season, conceding 61 goals and possessing the third worst defence in the league. Club captain Hauke Wahl left for rivals St. Pauli, while Simon Lorenz and Stefan Thesker were cast aside. Getting younger seems to be the memo with Carl Johannson, Lasse Rosenboom and Tom Rothe all coming in to improve the central and wide defensive areas.

There is one player that’s yet to be mentioned, and someone who many would consider a Bundesliga talent. Japanese international Shūto Machino had been rumoured to be on his way to Germany, and the decision to join on a deal lasting until 2027 was a real coup for Kiel. Machino scored nine goals in his 19 appearances for Shonan Bellmare this season, which included a spectacular display against Gamba Osaka, scoring four goals on his own in a 6:0 thumping. He’s one to keep an eye on.

Potential setup

As Kiel prepares to open the season away in Braunschweig, we can safely assume that coach Rapp will produce a distinctly different lineup to the one that dismantled Hannover on the final matchday of last season. Thomas Dähne, I expect will get the start in goal ahead of new signing Marcel Engelhardt who joined from Zwickau in the summer.

Under Rapp, Kiel tend to lineup in a 3-4-3 formation with two attacking wide players in midfield who operate in a box-to-box fashion. Last season it was Reese and Timo Becker, but with Becker’s injury during the pre-season it’s likely we will see two players making their Kiel debut. Tom Rothe was highly sort after by many 2. Bundesliga clubs, and Kiel were victorious in getting him on loan. He’s predicted to start with Lasse Rosenboom on the right.

We’ve mentioned Johansson coming to improve the defence, and I expect him to start in the heart of central defence alongside Marco Komenda and Patrick Erras. Can this trio improve Kiel’s defence performance not only in the matchup against Braunschweig but throughout the course of the season.

Kiel’s attacking options are very interesting and perhaps this could be the trickiest selection point. With players coming like Machino and Simakala signing on to join a core featuring Finn Porath, Steven Skryzbski, Benedict Pichler, Fiete Arp and Hólmbert Aron Fridjónsson. Competition for these spots will be intense. Skryzbski was the top scorer for Kiel last season and will be one of the first names on the teamsheet. Simakala is dynamic and will add an additional punch in attack.

But leading the line doesn’t seem so simple.

For me it’s a toss of the coin between Machino and Pichler, but with Machino already match fit and with goals in the bank I believe the Japanese international will get the nod.

Fan Perspective

With a new season on the horizon, I wanted to better understand the feeling around Kiel’s prospects. I spoke with Matthew from Holstein Kiel English about their thoughts heading into the new season.

MK: What are your hopes for the upcoming season?

Matt: The hopes are that we can solidify our defence with new signing Johansson from Sweden replacing outgoing captain Hauke Wahl, which could lead us into a strong mid table position.

MK: Which summer signing are you most looking forward to seeing play?

Matt: I am looking forward to seeing Nicolai Remberg in the colours of Kiel, I believe he will be the replacement for the outgoing Alexander Mühling and it is exciting to see if he can carry on his form that helped Preußen Münster claim a promotion to 3. Liga.

MK: Who is one player from Holstein Kiel fans of the league should keep an eye on?

Matt: Another new boy Shūto Machino who has signed from J league team Shonan Bellmare and was also part of Japans World Cup squad is an exciting striker who can run with the ball with either foot, I can see him causing issues for defenders.

MK: Fans should go to the Holstein-Stadion this season because?

Matt: Fans should visit the Holstein-stadion because it is one of the “proper” football stadiums which in the next few years is undergoing renovations (hence the construction jersey at the end of last year), the standing behind the goal houses one of the best atmospheres throughout the league despite the capacity only being 15000 total.

MK: Where do you think Holstein Kiel will finish this season?

Matt: The hopes are that with this young squad we can finish around places 6-10, I feel a bid for the top 3 spots could prove very difficult with the more historic teams fighting for those positions.

Predictions

There is an excitement about a squad that’s been retooled with interesting players with high potential. Even with the likes of Machino, Rothe and Simakala joining Kiel, there are still too many question marks on what Holstein Kiel could be.

At best, they could be a top six side. They’ve shown a strong ability to score in the past, and under Rapp an attacking style that is suited to the 2. Bundesliga. The aforementioned new signings should be able to replace the goal-scoring input of the departed Reese.

But, the worst case scenario for Kiel is a team fighting to avoid the relegation play-offs. Defensively they were awful last season, and with an overhauled defence can they show signs of improvement at that end. Is goalkeeping going to be stable? Last season they used three goalkeepers and none really staked a claim to start.

There is plenty to question heading into the new season for Kiel.