FC Köln vs. Hamburger SV preview: Two promoted sides face off

In partnership with

Bulinews

·1 November 2025

FC Köln vs. Hamburger SV preview: Two promoted sides face off

FC Köln

Köln will be satisfied to be in eighth spot ahead of matchday nine, having won three, drawn two and lost three of their opening eight matches. With that said, they have experienced a drop-off in form since they took seven points from their first three games. Lukas Kwasniok’s side have lost three of their previous five league games (W1, D1), including a narrow loss in last Saturday’s away clash with Borussia Dortmund.

They were then comfortably beaten in their midweek cup game against Bayern Munich, despite taking the lead through Ragnar Ache in the 31st minute. Harry Kane netted a brace alongside goals from Luis Díaz and Michael Olise to condemn Köln to a heavy 4-1 defeat and a second-round exit in the DFB-Pokal.

Video OneFootball

As a result of Wednesday’s loss, Die Geißböcke have now gone three home games without a win since beating Freiburg at the end of August. They will hope to end that run by claiming their first victory over Hamburg since picking up a 2-0 away win in January 2018. Meanwhile, they have not won a head-to-head home game since running out 3-0 winners in October 2016.

Team News

The hosts are unable to call upon Timo Hübers and Luca Kilian due to knee injuries, with the latter set to be out for an extended period with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Kwasniok is also without the injured Rav van den Berg and Jan Thielmann.

Predicted lineup: Schwäbe; Schmied, Martel, Cenk; Sebulonsen, Jóhannesson, Huseinbašić, Lund; Bülter, Kamiński, Ache

Hamburger SV

Hamburg will start the day three points behind their opponents after winning two, drawing two and losing four of their eight league matches this season. Merlin Polzin’s side have failed to take anything from their last two league games since they hammered Mainz 05 at the start of October. They fell to a 2-1 away defeat to RB Leipzig, before they lost 1-0 in last weekend’s home clash with Wolfsburg.

HSV at least managed to avoid another defeat in their midweek Pokal clash with Heidenheim. Polzin’s charges played the second half with a one-man advantage after Heidenheim’s Tim Siersleben was sent off in the closing stages of the first period. Robert Glatzel proved to be the matchwinner, dispatching an 81st-minute penalty to secure a spot in the last 16.

After enjoying success on their travels on Wednesday, Hamburg will now look to claim their first away win of the Bundesliga season. As it stands, HSV are one of three teams yet to win a league game on the road in 2025/26, having taken just one point from their opening three away trips in the Bundesliga.

The visitors can take confidence from the fact that they have avoided defeat in their last five competitive matches, including two victories in the 2.Bundesliga last season.