Preview:Augsburg vs Hamburger SV - prediction, team news, lineups

Saturday's clash between Augsburg and visitors Hamburger SV at WWK Arena will have significant ramifications on the race for Bundesliga survival.

The 15th-placed hosts have just seven points and are only above the division's relegation playoff spot due to goal difference, while Hamburger are 13th with nine points following their 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund on November 8 prior to the international break.

Match preview

Augsburg suffered a 3-2 defeat when they faced Stuttgart on November 9, and they will be disappointed to have lost given they led 2-1 when Han-Noah Massengo netted in the 26th minute.

The club had failed to score in the three previous matches to their clash against Stuttgart, and the defeat was only the second time in nine games that they managed to score more than once.

Head coach Sandro Wagner will hope that his side can keep their first clean sheet in 11 matches, with the club having conceded 11 times in their last four outings.

A loss for Fuggerstadter would extend their losing streak to five fixtures, and it would be their sixth game in all competitions without victory.

Augsburg have also been beaten in eight of their past 10 clashes at WWK Arena, including in each of their last three at the ground, while they only won once in that period.

Hamburger earned a point against Dortmund thanks to Ransford Konigsdorffer's 97th-minute equaliser, with his effort the club's ninth goal in the Bundesliga this season, the joint second-worst return in the top flight.

At the opposite end, the club have conceded nine goals in their past five matches, though four of those came when they lost 4-1 against FC Koln on November 2.

Saturday's meeting will be the first between the two sides since 2018, and each team has managed to win two matches in their four most recent clashes.

Boss Merlin Polzin has overseen a winless period in the Bundesliga of four games - three defeats and one draw - but they have won one and drawn one of their past three in all competitions.

Die Rothosen are yet to experience a triumph on the road in the league having lost three and been held to a stalemate in one of their four away outings in the top flight this term.

Augsburg Bundesliga form:

Augsburg form (all competitions):

Hamburger SV Bundesliga form:

Hamburger SV form (all competitions):

Team News

Augsburg will have to contend with the absence of centre-back Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, but he is the team's only confirmed absentee.

Fans will likely see a three-man defence consisting of Noahkai Banks, Chrislain Matsima and Keven Schlotterbeck.

Fabian Rieder is the club's leading scorer (three), and he will be expected to support striker Mert Komur.

Hamburger centre-forward Yussuf Poulsen is sidelined due to a hip problem, and his injury woes mean Konigsdorffer will start up front.

With central defender Warmed Omari set to miss out because of an ankle injury, the most likely candidates to feature in the visitors' back three are Nicolas Capaldo, Luka Vuskovic and Jordan Torunarigha.

Augsburg possible starting lineup:

Dahmen; Banks, Matsima, Schlotterbeck; Fellhauer, Massengo, Rexhbecaj, Giannoulis; Rieder, Claude-Maurice; Komur

Hamburger SV possible starting lineup:

Fernandes; Capaldo, Vuskovic, Torunarigha; Gocholeishvili, Lokonga, Remberg, Muheim; Philippe, Dompe; Konigsdorffer

We say: Augsburg 1-2 Hamburger SV

Neither side should be expected to keep a clean sheet considering they are both in poor form, though the game itself could be decided by a one-goal margin.

While Hamburger's displays on the road are concerning, the weekend's clash may represent their best chance for a win away from home this season given Augsburg have struggled considerably at WWK Arena.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.