Preview: Hamburger SV vs Union Berlin - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to bolster their bid for Bundesliga survival, promoted side Hamburger SV will host Union Berlin at Volksparkstadion on Saturday.

HSV will be looking to make it five games unbeaten this weekend, while Die Eisernen will be desperate for their first win of 2026.

Match preview

Hamburger made the step up to the top flight after finishing second in the 2.Bundesliga in 2024-25, and while some had doubts about their chances, they have been particularly resilient under Merlin Polzin in recent weeks.

Last Saturday, HSV followed up their impressive 2-2 draw with league leaders Bayern Munich by beating relegation favourites Heidenheim 2-0 on the road, a match that saw the club score in both halves through Ransford Konigsdorffer and Rayan Philippe.

That triumph lifted Polzin's men up to 11th in the table, where they are now three points above 16th-placed Werder Bremen in the drop zone.

Hoping to distance themselves from the bottom three this weekend, the hosts will draw confidence from the fact that they have only been beaten once at Volksparkstadion in the league this season, not to mention that Hamburger are unbeaten at home in the competition since late October.

Another victory on Saturday would see HSV leapfrog their opponents and potentially move up to ninth in the Bundesliga, though defeat could drag them back down towards the threat of relegation given that they are within reach of Die Werderaner.

Meanwhile, Steffen Baumgart's Union ended 2025 with back-to-back triumphs - 3-1 against RB Leipzig and 1-0 against FC Koln - but it would be fair to say that their European hopes have taken a major hit in the early part of 2026.

Die Eisernen drew 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt last Friday, and though that stalemate prevented the club from recording three straight losses, it also extended their ongoing winless run to six matches.

Such a disappointing start to the year has left Baumgart's side ninth in the division, a near-insurmountable 11 points behind sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen and just six above the bottom three.

Desperate to see their team kickstart their campaign with a win, some visiting fans may take heart from Union only losing one of their last four competitive clashes on the road - a 3-1 defeat against Hoffenheim on January 31.

On the other hand, the more pessimistic amongst the Die Eisernen faithful would highlight that the capital club have won just one of their five most recent away games, losing two and drawing two in the process.

To make matters worse, Baumgart's side have failed to keep a clean sheet so far in 2026, and given the strength of their hosts' home record, they will need to maintain their defensive solidity to take anything from this showdown.

Hamburger SV Bundesliga form:

Union Berlin Bundesliga form:

Team News

Hamburger will need to find solutions up front this weekend without young wingers Alexander Rossing-Lelesiit and Fabio Amadu Uri Balde, not to mention that January loanee Albert Gronbaek is sidelined with a thigh injury that is expected to keep him out until next month.

In their absence, Polzin could opt for Rayan Philippe on the right side of his forward line, alongside Philip Otele and striker Ransford Konigsdorffer.

Elsewhere, midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga is working his way back from an ankle injury, though Nicolai Remberg and Fabio Vieira should be on hand to start in the centre of the park.

As for Union, they are missing centre-backs Diogo Leite and Tom Rothe due to respective thigh and muscle injuries, as well as left wing-back options Josip Juranovic and Robert Skov, who are out with muscle and calf issues of their own.

On Saturday, Danilho Doekhi, Leopold Querfeld and Stanley Nsoki are likely to form Baumgart's defensive trio, flanked by Christopher Trimmel and Derrick Kohn.

Hamburger SV possible starting lineup:

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

Union Berlin possible starting lineup:

Ronnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Nsoki; Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Kohn; Jeong; Ilic, Ansah

We say: Hamburger SV 2-1 Union Berlin

Hamburger may be a promoted side, but they have been impressively resilient on their own turf, and the home crowd will be feeling optimistic ahead of this weekend.

On the other hand, Union have struggled in 2026 - failing to keep a single clean sheet so far - and their wait for a first win of the year could be extended on Saturday.

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