Preview: Hamburger SV vs RB Leipzig - prediction, team news, lineups

Fighting for a spot in the Bundesliga's top four, RB Leipzig will head to Volksparkstadion on Sunday to face promoted side Hamburger SV.

HSV will be hoping to earn a third win in four games this weekend, while Die Roten Bullen are looking for their first victory in three.

Match preview

Merlin Polzin's Hamburger clawed their way into the top flight after finishing second in the 2.Bundesliga last term, and while they have endured tough spells this season, the club are growing in confidence as the campaign enters its final few months.

Most recently, HSV came from behind to earn a point in a 1-1 draw with Mainz 05 on February 20, following on from a 3-2 triumph over Union Berlin and a 2-0 victory against Heidenheim to extend their impressive unbeaten streak to six games.

As one of only two Bundesliga teams to go unbeaten over that stretch - second-placed Borussia Dortmund being the other - Polzin's men have climbed up to 11th in the table, where their tally of 26 points has them six clear of 16th-placed St Pauli in the relegation playoff spot.

Keen to distance themselves further from the threat of demotion this weekend, Hamburger's commendable home record, which features just two league losses in 2025-26, will give the club confidence for this clash despite the disparity in ambitions between the sides.

Adding to that feeling will be the fact that the hosts last tasted top-flight defeat at Volksparkstadion back in late October, with HSV having won three and drawn four of their Bundesliga outings in front of their own crowd since that 1-0 downing at the hands of Wolfsburg.

Meanwhile, Leipzig missed out on qualifying for Champions League football in 2024-25 having become accustomed to playing in Europe's premier club competition, and Ole Werner is hoping that three points this weekend can put them in position to do so this time around.

Die Roten Bullen come into this clash fifth in the Bundesliga, but while they are just two points behind fourth-placed Stuttgart, a stumble in recent weeks has allowed their rivals to assume their spot.

Last Saturday, Werner's side were held to a 2-2 draw by title-chasing Dortmund, a result that looks acceptable at first glance, but was especially disappointing considering that Leipzig took a two-goal lead into the interval, only to be pegged back in the second half.

To make matters worse, that stalemate was preceded by another frustrating 2-2 draw against relegation-threatened Wolfsburg, meaning that the Champions League hopefuls have not won in the Bundesliga since beating FC Koln 2-1 on February 8.

As a result, Sunday's match has taken on extra importance with Die Roten Bullen growing increasingly desperate to get back on track, but with just two wins on the road across all competitions from their last seven away games - a run that goes back to October - fans would be forgiven for harbouring doubts.

Hamburger SV Bundesliga form:

RB Leipzig Bundesliga form:

RB Leipzig form (all competitions):

Team News

Hamburger will be without left wingers Albert Gronbaek and Alexander Rossing-Lelesiit this weekend due to respective thigh and ankle injuries, though Polzin confirmed that the rest of the team are "fired up and ready to go."

With that in mind, expect to see Ransford Konigsdorffer and Philip Otele supporting striker Robert Glatzel from out wide, while Nicolai Remberg and Fabio Vieira patrol the centre of the park.

As for Leipzig, they are missing first-choice shot-stopper Peter Gulacsi as he works his way back from a knee injury, though Maarten Vandevoordt should be on hand to start between the sticks on Sunday.

In midfield, both Forzan Assan Ouedraogo (knee) and Xaver Schlager (groin) are also sidelined, and Werner could opt for central a trio of Nicolas Seiwald, Christoph Baumgartner and Brajan Gruda in their absence.

Further forward, left winger Ayodele Thomas is dealing with a muscular problem, while fellow 18-year-old, Viggo Gebel, is out for the season as he undergoes rehabilitation on an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but Yan Diomande and Antonio Nusa look set to join Romulo Cardoso up top regardless.

Elsewhere, right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic is out due to a back injury, and Ridle Baku is in line to start wide of centre-halves Willi Orban and Castello Lukeba.

Hamburger SV possible starting lineup:

Fernandes; Capaldo, Vuskovic, Torunarigha; Jatta, Vieira, Remberg, Muheim; Konigsdorffer, Glatzel, Otele

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:

Vandevoordt; Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Gruda, Seiwald, Baumgartner; Diomande, Romulo, Nusa

We say: Hamburger SV 1-1 RB Leipzig

Hamburger may be the underdogs given their league position, as well as their status as a promoted team, but their resilience is difficult to overlook.

Leipzig, on the other hand, have been inconsistent in recent weeks, and it would not be surprising to see them drop points once again on Sunday.

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