Hamburger SV - SV Sandhausen

Hamburg to return to winning ways

TEAM NEWS

Hamburg's Stephan Ambrosius, Jairo Samperio, Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Aaron Hunt are still absent. 

Sandhausen’s Maximilian Jansen, Alexander Rossipal, Tim Kister and Nejmeddin Daghfous are all out with different injuries.

Hamburg

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Jairo Samperio, Stephan Ambrosius (all knee); Aaron Hunt (calf)

Sandhausen

Suspended: None

Doubtful: None

Injured/unavailable: Tim Kister (broken foot); Alexander Rossipal (ankle), Nejmeddin Daghfous (knee), Maximilian Jansen (unspecified)

MATCH PREVIEW

MAIN PREDICTION: HOME WIN 

Hamburg fell to an unexpected 3-1 defeat away from home to Holstein Kiel before the break. Despite this defeat Hannes Wolf’s boys remain on top of the league table, but only one point ahead second Cologne. The HSV have been in outstanding form in recent months, winning seven, drawing four of their last eleven in the league. Meanwhile, a 5-0 home loss to Jahn Regensburg back in late September remains their only defeat in their last  16 league matches, having drawn four and won 12 during that time.

While Hamburg have been riding on a crest of a wave. Sandhausen have been struggling big time of late and coming off a 0-0 home draw over Greuther Furth. Since beating Ingolstadt 4-0 at home back in October, the SVS have gone over two month without a win, losing three and drawing five of their last eight in Germany’s second tier. As a consequence of their woeful run of form, Sandhausen now find themselves close to the red zone.

Hamburg are starting to find some serious momentum under Hannes Wolf, and the HSV will be targeting another three points from this one. Hamburg have won three and drawn three of their last six league games at home, so back them to beat bottom side Sandhausen at Volkspark-Stadium.

SECOND PREDICTION: FIRST TEAM TO SCORE - HAMBURG

Hamburg have scored the opening goal in six of their last seven league matches and I think they will net the opener this weekend, too.

HEAD TO HEAD

These two have never met at Volkspark-Stadium in the second tier. Their first ever league meeting was won by Hamburg 3-0 in August earlier this season.