Mainz 05 vs. Hamburger SV preview: HSV chasing third straight win | OneFootball

Merlin Polzin’s in-form Hamburger SV travel to face Urs Fischer’s Mainz on Friday to kick off the Bundesliga weekend, with the visitors firmly targeting a third successive victory.

Mainz 05

Mainz find themselves in a far healthier position than when they last faced Friday’s opponents. At that stage, they had managed just one win from their opening six fixtures and were rooted near the foot of the table. Since Urs Fischer’s arrival, however, the 05ers have rediscovered stability, losing only two of his first nine league matches in charge to climb to 14th place - though their battle for survival remains ongoing.

There was a setback last time out, as Mainz suffered their first heavy defeat under Fischer, falling 4-0 to Borussia Dortmund last Friday. It was the third time this season they have lost by that scoreline. Two goals down inside 15 minutes, the visitors never recovered, with vulnerabilities from set pieces exposed - an area Fischer will undoubtedly have addressed in training this week.

Speaking ahead of the clash, Fischer stressed the need for defensive discipline:

“We have to be compact. It’s an important and decisive game. We need to be patient, but not become slow.”

He also highlighted the importance of home support:

“We'll have the fans right behind us tomorrow. They'll give us a lot of support and motivation.”

Mainz are unbeaten in their last four home league matches, though five of their six home defeats this season in league and cup have come against sides currently above them in the Bundesliga. Notably, Friday night football at the Mewa Arena has not been kind to them of late (D2, L2 in their last four).

Team news:

Long-term absentees Benedict Hollerbach, Anthony Caci, Robin Zentner, Sota Kawasaki and Andreas Hanche-Olsen remain sidelined. Stefan Bell has also sustained a knee injury that is set to keep him out for several weeks, with Kacper Potulski expected to take over. Nelson Weiper and Fabio Moreno Fell are ill, while Silvan Widmer is suspended - meaning Philipp Mwene should come into the starting XI.

Predicted lineup (3-5-2):

Batz (GK) - Posch, Kohr, Potulski - da Costa, J-S Lee, Sano, Amiri, Mwene - Silas, Tietz 

Hamburger SV

HSV have become increasingly resilient in recent weeks and are one of just two Bundesliga sides unbeaten in their last five matches (W2, D3). Polzin’s men have won their last two on the bounce, climbing to ninth place in their first season back in the top flight.

The most recent of those victories came in a 3-2 home win over Union Berlin. Goals from Nicolas Capaldo and Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer put HSV firmly in control at 3-1, and although Andrej Ilić struck late to set up a nervy finish, the hosts held on for a valuable three points.

Polzin has urged his side to maintain their belief as they pursue a third consecutive win:

“It will be a tough challenge, but we’re now in a position where we can go into games with confidence and self-belief. That only applies, though, if we’re operating at 100 per cent. Without the ball, we’ll need to deal with their physical presence. In possession, we want to build up well to create chances for ourselves and threaten in behind. We’ll need a strong team performance to get a good result.”

HSV can draw confidence from their emphatic 4-0 win in the reverse fixture at the Volksparkstadion, then against a Mainz side led by Bo Henriksen. However, their away form remains an area for improvement, with just one Bundesliga win on the road this season - at Heidenheim two weeks ago.

Team news:

Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Albert Grønbaek remain sidelined through injury. Nicolas Capaldo should be fit after dealing with an illness during the week, while key centre-back Luka Vušković misses out through suspension.

Predicted lineup (3-4-3):

Heuer Fernandes (GK) - Capaldo, Elfadli, Torunarigha - Jatta, Fabio Vieira, Remberg, Muheim - Königsdörffer, Glatzel, Otele