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

Desperate to stop the rot in the Bundesliga, struggling Wolfsburg will travel to take on promoted Hamburger SV at Volksparkstadion on Saturday.

Die Rothosen are looking for their third win in five top-flight games, while Die Wolfe are without a single victory since August.

Match preview

Merlin Polzin guided Hamburg to automatic promotion in 2024-25 when his team finished runners-up in the 2.Bundesliga, and with survival being the goal from the outset of this campaign, the club have made a commendable start.

After two wins, two draws and three defeats so far, Die Rothosen find themselves 11th in the table, where their tally of eight points sits them just three behind sixth-placed Koln and four above 16th-placed Mainz 05, who occupy the relegation playoff spot.

Last Saturday, Polzin's side were beaten 2-1 on the road by RB Leipzig, though they were competitive and pulled the score back to 1-1 via Albert Sambi Lokonga moments after the second-half restart, putting in a performance that arguably deserved at least a point.

In any case, Hamburg will take confidence from that showing in a clash that followed up a 4-0 battering of Die Nullfunfer on October 5, which itself came after a 0-0 draw with Union Berlin and a 2-1 victory over Heidenheim in September.

Feeling more assured that they are capable of playing at the level required in the Bundesliga, the hosts will be looking for a third-straight win on their own turf, knowing that three points could even push them towards the European places.

That being said, defeat might see Die Rothosen drop down the rankings and leave them looking over their shoulder at the likes of Heidenheim and Borussia Monchengladbach in the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, Paul Simonis took charge of a Wolfsburg team that finished 11th in the Bundesliga last term, and though he had hoped to give the club a boost, they are in dire form ahead of this weekend.

So far in 2025-26, Die Wolfe have only won once in the top flight - a 3-1 triumph over Heidenheim on matchday one - while drawing two and losing each of their most recent four.

This past Saturday, Simonis's men were beaten 3-0 at Volkswagen Arena by Stuttgart, marking the fourth time in their last five matches that they have failed to score.

That latest defeat has left Wolfsburg 15th in the table with five points, a total that sees them just one point clear of the bottom two.

Another loss would potentially be enough to drop Die Wolfe to the bottom of the pile, but they are likely to be spared that embarrassment given that Gladbach are set to face Bayern Munich on Saturday.

On the other hand, the visitors' only victory of the campaign came on the road, and if they can repeat that success, then they could go level with their opponents and climb up to 11th depending on goal difference.

Hamburger SV Bundesliga form:

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:

Team News

Hamburg are expected to be without centre-back Warmed Omari and winger Fabio Balde this weekend, while right-backs Silvan Hefti and Giorgi Gocholeishvili, as well as midfielder Fabio Vieira, are all doubts.

If none of those potential absentees is available, then Polzin could opt for Nicolas Capaldo, Luka Vuskovic and Daniel Elfadli in a back three, while William Mikelbrencis and Miro Muheim operate either side of Sambi Lokonga and Nicolai Remberg in the centre of the park.

As for Wolfsburg, they have an extensive injury list to contend with, as they will be missing centre-back Denis Vavro, midfielder Mattias Svanberg, full-backs Kilian Fischer and Rogerio, and wide men Jesper Lindstrom, Patrick Wimmer and Kevin Paredes.

With that in mind, the visitors may start Moritz Jenz and Konstantinos Koulierakis at the heart of defence, flanked by Sael Kumbedi and Aaron Zehnter at full-back, while Maximilian Arnold and Vinicius form a double pivot in midfield.

Further forward, an attacking trio of Andreas Skov Olsen, Christian Eriksen and Adam Daghim will be hoping to supply Mohamed El Amine Amoura up top.

Hamburger SV possible starting lineup:

Fernandes; Capaldo, Vuskovic, Elfadli; Mikelbrencis, Sambi Lokonga, Remberg, Muheim; Philippe, Koningsdorffer, Dompe

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:

Grabara; Kumbedi, Jenz, Koulierakis, Zehnter; Arnold, Vinicius; Skov Olsen, Eriksen, Daghim; Amoura