Penalties get the headlines, yet a sweetly struck free kick still decides plenty of 2. Bundesliga matches. Knowing who stands over the ball lets fantasy managers and value-hunters squeeze extra points and profit from set-piece situations.

This guide lists every confirmed free kick takers 2. Bundesliga for 2025/26, complete with confidence ratings and weekly update promises. Bookmark it now and stay one step ahead.

How We Verified Free-Kick Duties

I combined four data streams:

  1. Pre-season friendlies and DFB-Pokal ties
  2. Event feeds for 2024/25 and summer warm-ups
  3. Club-released training footage that shows dead-ball routines
  4. Local reporters with eyes on the touchline

Free Kick Takers 2. Bundesliga (25/26)

Soccer player executing a free kick amid fiery red backdrop and glowing ball energy

Here’s a list of the Free Kick Takers 2. Bundesliga of all sides in the 2025/26 season. (Table shows club, primary and backup takers, confidence rating. Updated 16 August 2025.)

TeamTaker(s)Confidence (1–5)
FC Schalke 04Christopher Antwi-Adjei, Kenan Karaman4
Hertha BSCFabian Reese3
Hannover 96Havard Nielsen, Enzo Leopold2
SV Darmstadt 98Paul Will, Luca Marseiller3
DSC Arminia BielefeldJulian Kania3
VfL BochumTBD – Key players transferred2
Fortuna DüsseldorfÍsak Janssen, Dennis Kownacki3
1. FC KaiserslauternMarlon Ritter, Daniel Hanslik4
Karlsruher SCMarvin Wanitzek (captain)5
Holstein KielSteven Skrzybski, Benedikt Pichler4
1. FC MagdeburgBaris Atik, Xavier Amaechi4
SC Preußen MünsterJano ter Horst, Joel Grodowski2
1. FC NürnbergRobin Knoche, Caspar Jander3
SV 07 ElversbergLuca Schnellbacher, Lukas Pinckert3
SpVgg Greuther FürthBranimir Hrgota, Julian Green4
TSV Eintracht BraunschweigSebastian Polter3
SG Dynamo DresdenStefan Kutschke (captain), Niklas Hauptmann4
SC Paderborn 07Felix Platte, Filip Bilbija3
Last Updated: August 16, 2025

Confidence Scale (1-5)

  • 5 – Role locked. Player takes every direct free kick when on the pitch.
  • 4 – Primary taker with occasional delegation.
  • 3 – Shared duty, early-season rotation possible.
  • 2 – Limited evidence, monitor first three rounds.
  • 1 – Speculation only, no clear sample.

Early-Season Watch List

Some squads still shuffle their dead-ball deck. Keep a close eye on these three:

  • SC Preußen Münster – Promotion plus new coach means roles are wide open. Lorenz was first up in two friendlies but Grodowski took the only Cup free kick.
  • Eintracht Braunschweig – Half the XI arrived this summer. Kaufmann and Ujah split set-pieces in training, so watch Matchday 1 for clarity.
  • 1. FC Kaiserslautern – Ritter is favourite, yet Ache hit more direct attempts in July. Expect a clear hierarchy by mid-August.

Tip: Revisit this page after Matchday 3 before locking long-term fantasy picks.


Fantasy & Betting Edge: Why Direct FKs Matter

A nailed-on free kick taker in the 2. Bundesliga adds at least 1.0 key pass and 0.3 shots on target per ninety, based on last year’s event data. That steady floor keeps your Fantrax roster humming even on quiet attacking days.

Bookmakers often price over/under shot props without adjusting for set-piece specialists. Karlsruher’s Marvin Wanitzek is the classic case. His right-foot curlers from 22 metres drove four goals and seven on-target efforts in 2024/25. When algorithms treat him like a regular box-to-box midfielder, savvy punters find value in shots on target +0.5 lines. (no betting advice, just a statistical remark!)

Left-Foot vs Right-Foot Specialists

Most managers prefer the natural whip of an outswinging free kick. Kevin Stöger (VfL Bochum) bends those in from the right channel, while Tim Hofmann steps up on the opposite side if Stöger is crowded out. Tracking which foot takes which quadrant can reveal crossing volume that raw stats miss.

In conclusion, if you have any feedback or questions about the set-piece takers of the 2. Bundesliga that are not addressed in the information above, feel free to leave a comment below.

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