Preview:Hamburger SV vs Borussia Dortmund - prediction, team news, lineups

Hamburg will be determined to avoid a fourth straight Bundesliga defeat when they welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Volksparkstadion for a heavyweight Saturday afternoon clash.

The hosts are still struggling to find their feet in the top tier, while the Prussians will be looking to shake off a heavy midweek defeat to Manchester City.

Match preview

It took Hamburger SV a total of seven seasons to get themselves back into the Bundesliga, though the task of keeping the club in the top division is proving a lot tougher than the promotion bid itself.

Merlin Polzin and his men are still a couple of points above the bottom three, but recent weeks have exposed some serious issues in both the attacking and defensive departments.

Hamburg are the joint-lowest goalscorers in the competition, having bagged just eight goals across their first nine games – the same as 15th placed St Pauli and bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim.

To make matters worse, Die Rothosen are now struggling to keep goals out of their own net, conceding seven goals across their last three Bundesliga matches – including four against FC Koln last weekend.

Turning things around against a high-quality team like Borussia Dortmund will take some doing, though picking up their first win over the Prussians in a decade would undoubtedly hand a serious boost of confidence to Polzin and his team.

While Hamburg are seemingly destined for a relegation fight, Die Schwarzgelben will be hoping to compete at the other end of the table come the end of the season.

Keeping pace with league leaders Bayern Munich is a near-impossible task at the moment, and Dortmund are struggling to remain within reaching distance of the Bavarians.

Despite picking up 20 points from their opening nine games, Dortmund are already seven points behind in the title race, meaning they may have to rely on an almighty Bayern calamity later in the season if they are to challenge for the title.

When it comes to more immediate matters, Niko Kovac and his men will be looking to shake off a 4-1 defeat to Man City in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The German outfit were well off the pace against the Citizens, though they will now be hoping to make Hamburg feel the same way as the two teams meet for the first time since 2018.

Hamburger SV Bundesliga form:

Hamburger SV form (all competitions):

Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga form:

Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):

Team News

Hamburg head into the fixture without defender Warmed Omari, who has missed the last five games through a knee injury.

The duo of Immanuel Pherai and Fabio Vieira are both suspended for the visit of BVB, after both men were sent off against FC Koln last weekend.

In terms of attacking threat, HSV are putting their faith in Ransford Konigsdorffer, who scored 14 goals last season but is yet to get off the mark this term.

Dortmund, meanwhile, are expected to be without Julian Brandt, who missed the midweek trip to Manchester with a muscle injury.

Defender Niklas Sule is also a serious doubt after picking up a toe problem, which marks a further setback in his pursuit of Bundesliga minutes.

Jobe Bellingham is still fighting for his place in the team, while Serhou Guirassy is expected to lead the attack for the visitors.

Hamburger SV possible starting lineup:

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

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Gross, Bellingham, Svensson; Adeyemi, Beier; Guirassy

We say: Hamburger SV 0-3 Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund boast a terrific defensive record in the Bundesliga, conceding just six goals this entire season.

Hamburg might be on home territory, but their failure to score goals is becoming a serious concern. With that in mind, we are backing the visitors to pick up a comfortable win.

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