Borussia Dortmund vs. Hamburger SV preview: Hosts take on spirited underdog
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Borussia Dortmund:
The Bundesliga's top-spiel on Matchday 27 sees Borussia Dortmund host Hamburger SV at the Westfalenstadion from 18:30 CET this Saturday. Both sides will be seeking victory for two largely different reasons.
Dortmund's control of second place is more than comfortable as things stand. They hold an eight-point lead over next best Hoffenheim but crucially trail Bundesliga leaders Bayern by nine points with eight games remaining.
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Last weekend's comfortable 2-0 win over FC Augsburg paved the way for BVB to close that gap to Bayern who slipped up at Leverkusen. Karim Adeyemi scored alongside a first senior goal for 18-year-old defender Luca Reggiani.
The Westphalians' sporting director Sebastian Kehl said "everyone shared in happiness" after Reggiani's moment – a clear sign that spirits in the BVB camp are high despite their early exit from the Champions League this season.
Team news:
Kovač has close to a full squad to pick from with Emre Can (ACL tear) and Filippo Mane (muscle injury) the main absentees. Doubts still loom over Daniel Svensson who limped off with a heavily strapped left ankle last weekend.
Kobel ought to start behind Reggiani, Anton and Schlotterbeck in defence, with Svensson fit to slot into midfield with Ryerson, Nmecha and Bellingham. In attack, Adeyemi and Beier should feature behind marksman Guirassy.
Predicted lineup: Kobel – Reggiani, Anton, Schlotterbeck – Ryerson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Svensson – Adeyemi, Beier – Guirassy
Hamburger SV:
Meanwhile, Hamburger SV revisit the Yellow Wall for the first time since February 2018 prior to their relegation woes. With a six-point cushion from the play-off spot, they will be hoping to cause an upset and further that gap.
Since 2026 began, Merlin Polzin has managed to get a real tune out of his squad, picking up 3 wins, 5 draws and just 3 narrow defeats. A 2-2 draw with Bayer in late January really proved they were capable of anything.
Last weekend, the Hanseatic club played out a 1-1 stalemate with 1.FC Köln. Fabio Vieira's goal gave HSV a short-lived advantage before Said El Mala responded in what was a "fair result" on balance as Nicolai Remberg put it.
Now, they face a side whom they held to a draw before the winter break, but have only lost twice all season. One must also go back to October 2014 for HSV's last away win over BVB – a time when Pierre-Michel Lasogga netted the winner.
Team news:
Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit (ligament tear), Bakery Jatta (torn muscle fibre) and Yussuf Poulsen (hamstring) will likely miss out this Saturday, while Nico Capaldo (abdominal muscle) has also been ruled out by Polzin.
Heuer-Fernandes will likely tend to goals with Omari, Vušković and Torunarigha behind a four-man midfield of Mikelbrencis, Remberg, Sambi and Muheim. In attack, Vieira and Königsdörffer ought to bolster Damion Downs.
Predicted lineup: Heuer-Fernandes – Omari, Vušković, Torunarigha – Mikelbrencis, Sambi, Remberg, Muheim – Vieira, Königsdörffer – Downs