Hamburger SV vs Mainz 05 preview: Both sides seeking vital points early on | OneFootball

Hamburger SV

After a seven-year wait for a Bundesliga return, HSV have been quickly reminded of the league’s demands. Just one point from their first three games - including a 5-0 thrashing at Bayern - highlighted the challenge. Recent weeks, however, have offered encouragement. Four points from their last two fixtures brought a long-awaited first Bundesliga win, beating Heidenheim 2-1 at home, followed by a positive goalless draw at Union Berlin.

That point in the capital saw HSV survive an early scare from a missed Andrej Ilić penalty before dominating possession, though they struggled to create clear chances. They also suffered setbacks: Fabio Vieira, who has impressed since arriving, was sent off late on, while defender Warmed Omari sustained an ankle injury that will rule him out until at least 2026.

Polzin’s biggest concern remains in attack. His side dictate possession well but look largely toothless in the final third, with only two goals in five matches and just Augsburg posting a worse xG. The absence of Yussuf Poulsen has been felt both as a physical presence and as a leader up front. As he awaits a return, more will be expected from Rayan Philippe and Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer.

At home, HSV will be looking to rediscover the form that underpinned their promotion push last season, when they lost only twice in 17 league outings. The recent Heidenheim win could yet prove the spark to turn the Volksparkstadion into a fortress once again.

Team news:

Fabio Vieira - who would have likely been out due to a knee injury anyways - will serve the first of his two-game suspension picked up last time out. Warmed Omari will also miss out due to his aforementioned injury. There is a chance that Jordan Torunarigha and Yussuf Poulsen could return to the match day squad having both trained with no issues this week.

Mainz 05

Mainz’s campaign has started slowly, with just one win from five league matches following last season’s impressive sixth-place finish. A 2-0 home defeat to Dortmund last weekend undid much of the momentum gained from their matchday four victory in Augsburg, leaving Henriksen’s men desperately searching for consistency.

Unlike their hosts, Mainz are also juggling European commitments. While some view it as a potential burden, the Conference League has provided a timely confidence boost. On Thursday, they battled past Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus, earning a 1-0 win courtesy of a Nadiem Amiri penalty - just their second clean sheet of the season.

Before the game on Sunday, Henriksen backed his team to prevail against strong opposition despite the short turnaround: “I've seen their last few games. They play good football and want to build from the back. Up front, they have two or three very fast players. They can kick. We want to give our best, but we also know it will be a tough task. But we have the belief that we can put in a good performance and win."

Though the sides haven’t met since 2018, history favours Mainz with their last defeat to HSV coming all the way back in May 2015. The 05ers will also be able to take solace from their away form of late, with three of their four victories so far this season coming on the road.

Team news:

Anthony Caci remains out long-term with a tendon injury. Goalkeeper Robin Zentner is suspended following his red card against Dortmund, while Maxim Leitsch’s inclusion is 50/50 as he recovers from an infection. Dominik Kohr is available after serving his suspension, and Jae-Sung Lee is expected to be back after being rested in midweek.

Predicted lineups

HSV (3-4-3): Heuer Fernandes (GK) - Ramos, Vuskovic, Elfadli - Gocholeishvili, Remberg, Lokonga, Muheim - Philippe, Königsdörffer, Dompé

Mainz (3-4-2-1): Rieß (GK) - da Costa, Hanche-Olsen, Kohr - Widmer, Sano, Amiri, Mwene - J.-S. Lee, Nebel - Sieb