With one matchday remaining in the 2025-26 2. Bundesliga, Schalke 04 has already secured automatic promotion as champions, leaving a three-way tie at 59 points between SV Elversberg, Hannover 96, and SC Paderborn for the second direct ascent to the Bundesliga. Elversberg holds the tiebreaker edge via superior goal difference, while Hannover and Paderborn rely on results and potential playoff qualification. Recent form shows all three sides maintaining strong records over the past month, though travel factors and home/away splits on the final weekend will shape the outcome. The season concludes on May 17, with direct head-to-head history and current table momentum informing trader assessments of each club's promotion path.