Preview:FC Koln vs Hamburger SV - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams that earned promotion to the Bundesliga last season collide at the RheinEnergieStadion this Sunday afternoon as FC Koln host Hamburger SV in a tasty fixture.

The hosts are looking to shake off a poor run of form, while Die Rothosen will be hoping to extend their five-match unbeaten run against their upcoming opponents.

Match preview

FC Koln have lost four of their last six competitive games, but a closer look at those fixtures reveals all four of those defeats came against the current top four in the Bundesliga.

Last month RB Leipzig and VfB Stuttgart handed Koln their first two defeats of the season, before Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich joined the fun over recent days.

Wednesday’s 4-1 defeat to Bayern in the DFB-Pokal was undoubtedly disappointing, but one positive for the Billy Goats is the fact they can channel all their energy solely into their Bundesliga campaign.

Having picked up 11 points from their first eight league outings, Koln have already surpassed a lot of early season expectations, though Lukas Kwasniok’s men will be looking to go further.

Two of their recent defeats – against Dortmund and Stuttgart – both came by a single goal margin, meaning the Billy Goats are not a million miles away from competing with the competition’s big hitters.

Hamburg, on the other hand, head into Sunday’s fixture on the back of a 1-0 DFB-Pokal win against fellow Bundesliga side Heidenheim.

The victory certainly came at a good time for the club, as it ended their two-match losing run – a sequence which saw them suffer a narrow 2-1 defeat at RB Leipzig and a home 1-0 loss against VfL Wolfsburg.

Merlin Polzin’s side are one of the least effective teams when it comes to scoring goals, rattling the net just seven times across their eight matches – one more than bottom-of-the-table Borussia Monchengladbach.

Heading into Sunday, Hamburg will be buoyed by their recent head-to-head record with Koln having lost just one of their last nine meetings – picking up six victories in the process.

Polzin’s men did a season double over Koln in the second tier last season, which included a 2-1 victory away at the RheinEnergieStadion.

FC Koln Bundesliga form:

D L L W D L

FC Koln form (all competitions):

L L W D L L

Hamburger SV Bundesliga form:

L W D W L L

Hamburger SV form (all competitions):

W D W L L W

Team News

Koln are not only dealing with a poor run of results, but they are also suffering from a host of injuries heading into matchday nine.

Timo Hubers, for instance, underwent surgery on Monday after picking up a nasty injury against Borussia Dortmund last weekend.

Defender Luca Kilian is also dealing with a knee problem which has kept him on the sidelines since March 2024.

Forward Jan Thielmann has four goal contributions to his name this season, though he is currently on the injury list after picking up a hamstring issue.

Defender Rav van den Berg is also a doubt as he continues to nurse a shoulder injury.

Hamburg, meanwhile, remain without defender Warmed Omari, who has missed the last four games with a knee problem.

Portuguese forward Fabio Balde is a doubt for the trip to Cologne after picking up a muscular issue.

Robert Glatzel could get the chance to make a rare start after scoring the winner against Heidenheim on Tuesday night.

FC Koln possible starting lineup:

Schwabe; Schmied, Martel, Heintz; Sebulonsen, Johannesson, Huseinbasic, Lund; Bulter, El Mala; Kaminski

Hamburger SV possible starting lineup:

Heuer Fernandes; Capaldo, Vuskovic, Elfadli; Gocholeishvili, Sambi Lokonga, Remberg, Muheim; Philippe, Glatzel, Dompe

We say: FC Koln 2-1 Hamburger SV

FC Koln have faced some tough opponents in recent weeks, but they will finally be able to spread their wings against a conservative Hamburg side.

HSV are one of the weakest teams when it comes to scoring goals, meaning it could be lights out if the hosts can rattle the net a couple of times. Bearing everything in mind, we are backing the hosts to keep all three points in Cologne.

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