Hamburger SV vs. Heidenheim preview: Early relegation six-pointer

Hamburg host fellow strugglers Heidenheim in a battle at the wrong end of the Bundesliga table on Saturday, with both sides searching for their first league win of the season.

Hamburger 

It has been a difficult return to Bundesliga life for Merlin Polzin’s men, who were thrashed 5-0 by champions Bayern Munich last weekend and remain without a goal after three league fixtures.

Creating chances has been HSV’s biggest issue. They have produced just one big chance this season, generated the lowest expected goals (1.3) in the league, and average only two shots on target per match.

The Volksparkstadion was a stronghold last season with just two defeats in 17 home league games, but a 2-0 derby defeat to St. Pauli in their 2025/26 home opener has already dented that aura. With a tough run of fixtures ahead, victory against Heidenheim feels vital.

Team News

Yussuf Poulsen remains sidelined with a thigh injury until mid-October, leaving Robert Glatzel to lead the line. Nicolai Remberg and Nicolas Capaldo are expected to continue as the midfield pairing, having started all three Bundesliga games so far.

Predicted lineup – 3-4-2-1: Fernandes – Omari, Vuskovic. Torunarigha – Gocholeishvili, Capaldo, Rember, Muheim – Viera, Dompe – Glatzel

Heidenheim

Frank Schmidt marked his 18th anniversary in charge this week, but his side arrive in Hamburg at the bottom of the table after three straight defeats. Their latest setback was a 2-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund, where Budu Zivzivadze’s early red card left them chasing shadows.

Heidenheim have struggled in this fixture historically, winless in their last five meetings with HSV and failing to score in four of those. With only one goal scored and seven conceded so far this campaign, Schmidt faces an uphill task to spark his team into life.

Team News

Zivzivadze is suspended following his dismissal against Dortmund, with Mikkel Kaufmann set to deputise up front alongside Adrian Beck in support. Patrick Mainka and Benedikt Gimber should continue their centre-back partnership, while Niklas Dorsch and Jan Schöppner are expected to form the midfield double pivot.

Predicted lineup – 3-4-2-1: Ramaj – Mainka, Gimber, Siersleben – Traore, Kerber, Schöppner, Föhrenbach – Ibrahimovic, Beck – Kaufmann