MSV Duisburg - Hamburger SV

Hamburg to edge past Duisburg

TEAM NEWS

Duisburg’s Christian Gartner will be out for the remainder of the year. Dustin Bomheuer and Thomas Blomeyer are not available either. The side will also have to replace Kevin Wolze who received his fifth yellow card in the last league outing and will miss through suspension.

Hamburg's Gideon Jung, Jairo Samperio, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Matti Steinmann and Pierre-Michel Lasogga are still absent. 

Duisburg

Suspended: Kevin Wolze

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Christian Gartner (knee), Thomas Blomeyer (unspecified), Dustin Bomheuer (pulled muscle)

Hamburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Gideon Jung, Jairo Samperio (all knee); Matti Steinmann (adductor), Pierre-Michel Lasogga (pulled muscle)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: AWAY WIN

Duisburg's results have been mixed since manager Torsten Lieberknecht took over in early October, having won three, drawn two and lost three. However, back-to-back defeats in their last two league outings will have got the new boss worried, particularly given the fact that they conceded four goals in each of those losses. The team lost 4-0 at home to fifth placed Holstein Kiel two rounds ago before succumbing to a 4-1 away defeat at sixth placed Heidenheim last weekend. With only two teams shipping more goals this season and the side enjoying a lead of only two points over the bottom three, Lieberknecht will have to find a solution to his leaky defence quickly. 

Leaders Hamburg have not lost since a home defeat to Jahn Regendsburg in mid-September, winning six and drawing four since. They clinched win number ten last time out as they saw off Paderborn in a 1-0 home victory and have the second best away record in Germany's second tier, winning six and drawing one.

Hamburg are on an excellent run and should have no problem easing past strugglers Duisburg. Back the visitors to run out comfortable winners in this one.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE – HAMBURG

Hamburg have scored the opening goal in four of their last five league matches, with all of them ending in wins, while Duisburg have conceded first in their last two league fixtures. Take a punt on Hamburg to score first here.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two have only met in the top flight, with their most recent league encounters dating back to 2007-08. Both teams registered a 1-0 away win then.