Frankfurt vs Hamburger SV – News and Probable Lineups

The head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt, Adi Hutter, faces significant pressure if his team falls to the visitors, Hamburgo SV, in their Bundesliga fixture on Sunday at Deutsche Bank Park.

The home side enters the match sitting in 14th position with a total of eight points. While they are just one point behind 11th-placed Hamburgo, a loss may drop them into the relegation zone this weekend.

Match overview

Hutter was brought back to Frankfurt in May, and despite a warm reception from supporters, he has managed only two victories in seven Bundesliga matches, leaving his team merely two points clear of 17th-placed Union Berlin.

In their latest Bundesliga encounter on October 24, the Eagles suffered a 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, conceding a goal in the 80th minute while struggling to create chances in the attacking zone.

Indeed, Hutter’s squad has scored only one goal across their last three league encounters, and their attacking woes have been exacerbated by their defensive frailties, with only two other teams conceding more goals in the Bundesliga thus far (17).

The prospect of relegation was unimaginable for Frankfurt in the 2024-25 season when they secured a third-place finish, but the current situation is worrying for fans, given they have accumulated just 20 points from their last 28 top-flight matches.

A 1-0 victory against FC Koln on October 16 at Deutsche Bank Park ended a six-match winless streak at home (W0, D3, L3).

Hamburgo SV, on the other hand, recently lost a potentially significant match in their relegation battle, falling 1-0 to SC Paderborn on October 24.

The visitors were also defeated 3-1 by Frankfurt in the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, raising concerns as they conceded multiple high-quality chances, with all three goals by the Eagles coming from around the six-yard box.

HSV has managed to win only one of their last 15 encounters against the Eagles, suffering defeat eight times, although they did emerge victorious with a 2-1 scoreline in a similar Bundesliga match in May 2025-26.

Even though Hamburgo experienced back-to-back losses ahead of Sunday’s encounter, Merlin Polzin had guided his team to three consecutive victories in prior outings, and his players collected nine points from the last 12 available in the top tier.

However, Hamburgo has lost three of their four away Bundesliga matches this season, notably failing to score in three of those while letting in 10 goals.

Team News

Frankfurt’s only injury issue pertains to central defender Jessic Ngankam, though he is making progress towards a return from a thigh injury.

It is anticipated that Robin Koch and Lilian Brassier will solidify the centre of defence, with the pair possibly supported by a double pivot of Noel Aseko and Raphael Onyodika.

Forward Jonathan Burkardt scored against HSV in the DFB-Pokal and will be keen to make an impact again, as will his striking partner Younes Ebnoutalib.

For Hamburgo, they will be without several vital players this weekend, including centre-back Nicolas Capaldo and midfielder Nicolai Remberg, although Capaldo is expected back within a week.

Shafiq Nandja, Sebastiaan Bornauw, and Warmed Omari are likely to feature in the defence, while Albert Sambi Lokonga is slated to pair up with Miro Muheim in the midfield.

Fans may also be concerned as attackers Fabio Vieira and Yussuf Poulsen have been declared unavailable, increasing the burden on Terem Moffi, Martin Adeline, and Albert Gronbaek.

Eintracht Frankfurt probable starting XI:

Atubolu; Baum, Koch, Brassier, Kosugi; Doan, Aseko, Onyedika, Chaibi; Burkardt, Ebnoutalib

Hamburgo SV probable starting XI:

Fernandes; Nandja, Bornau, Omari; El Ouahdi, Lokonga, Muheim, Wolfe; Adeline, Gronbaek; Moffi

Eintracht Frankfurt has not been at their best this season, and their lack of attacking threat in recent times is concerning.

Hamburgo will be missing several key forwards on Sunday, and given their poor away record, it is possible that the hosts will secure another victory over the visitors.