Hamburg SV vs FC Cologne – News and Probable Lineups

Hamburgo SV will take on 1. FC Koln in a Bundesliga Matchday 4 encounter at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg on Saturday, where both teams are aiming for early-season stability as Hamburg seeks to rebound and Koln looks to make a mark.

The hosts have struggled with three consecutive defeats in the Bundesliga, failing to score while conceding twelve goals, leaving them at the bottom of the Eredivisie standings on goal difference trailing Borussia Monchengladbach. Merlin Polzin’s squad faces a serious risk of becoming the first Bundesliga side this season to go a full month without netting a goal in league play.

Match overview

HSV’s early-season downturn has surprised even critics who doubted the Rothosen could maintain their form in their first campaign back in the Bundesliga after earning promotion from the 2. Bundesliga, eight years subsequent to their relegation in 2018.

Beginning with a 2-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday One, where 81,365 spectators witnessed the loss – the largest crowd in the league this season – was troubling yet understandable given the opponent; however, the 0-5 defeat at home to Mainz 05 on Matchday Two was much less acceptable.

Polzin called for a strong reaction before their trip to RB Leipzig on Matchday Three, yet his team conceded another five goals – with Tidiam Gomis (17′) and Antonio Nusa (28′) putting Leipzig ahead, and Castello Lukeba scoring a third goal (48′), before the only silver lining came from a sixth-minute own goal by Nicolas Capaldo, marking the first time HSV managed to contribute to the scoresheet across 270 minutes of Bundesliga action.

Saturday marks HSV’s first home Bundesliga match since the devastating defeat to Mainz, and Polzin will rely on the support of a 57,000-seat crowd to help push his team to victory against an opponent they have a historical edge over, winning nine out of their previous 22 encounters.

The impact of playing at the Volksparkstadion is significant, yet Polzin also must address a structural issue: the three heavy defeats have not only stemmed from the opponents’ strength, but also from a defensive formation that has frequently been breached through the midfield, and personnel changes remain challenging prior to this fixture.

The timely return of Mario Vuskovic to full training on Tuesday after serving a doping suspension is a welcome boost to both morale and squad depth, while Kofi Amoako also rejoined the squad after a recent illness, adding some attacking options.

The Billy Goats arrive in Hamburg with four points from three Bundesliga fixtures, a record that appears more secure than their actual display, with seven goals conceded in those matches, including a heavy 4-1 loss to Stuttgart.

Koln began the season with a 3-2 home victory against Hoffenheim on Matchday One, where Said El Mala scored the opener prior to Thijs Dallinga, who came off the bench to net a brace – both players missed the subsequent match against Stuttgart due to illness, leading to a thorough defeat.

The response in Matchday Three was somewhat subdued: a 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen, where Linton Maina equalized after Niclas Fullkrug had opened the scoring, kept the Billy Goats above the relegation zone but left head coach Rene Wagner frustrated, as he noted his team had “lost a bit of courage” during the second half.

Wagner took over from Lukas Kwasniok as head coach in March 2026 — marking his second tenure at the club after having served as assistant to Steffen Baumgart from 2021 to 2023 and guiding Koln away from relegation last season; his pragmatic approach instills a level of solidity lacking under Kwasniok, yet Saturday’s match at a desperate and fervent Volksparkstadion will test that stability.

The main focus heading into this game has been the fitness of El Mala: the 20-year-old, who dons the number 10 shirt and became only the fourth teenager in Koln’s history to net 10 Bundesliga goals for the club last season after Lukas Podolski, Pierre Littbarski, and Dieter Muller, is confirmed to be fully fit after a flu-like illness and is set to start in Hamburg, significantly enhancing Koln’s attacking threat.

Koln’s away performance in competitive matches since returning to the top division has been uneven, yet with El Mala fit, along with Ellyes Skhiri and Tom Krauss providing stability in midfield, and HSV’s defense having conceded twelve goals in three outings, Wagner’s team poses a genuine threat on the road despite the trend.

Team News

Polzin confirmed on Wednesday that Sebastiaan Bornauw will miss this clash due to a muscular issue, marking his second consecutive absence in the Bundesliga after also missing the match against Leipzig.

Jordânia Torunarigha remains a doubt: the center-back was limited to individual training on Tuesday after sustaining a thigh injury in the closing minutes against Leipzig, although the club assesses that the injury is not severe and he is anticipated to undergo a fitness test before kick-off.

Warmed Omari, who was nursing a shoulder concern, has been deemed available by Polzin ahead of the Leipzig match and is expected to feature in the back three alongside Torunarigha if he is cleared fit; should Torunarigha be unavailable, Vuskovic — returned to full training this week following the end of his doping suspension — may slot directly into the defensive lineup.

Miro Muheim (groin) and Alexander Rossing (ankle, expected back late September) continue to be sidelined, while forward Otto Stange, who sustained a rib injury at Leipzig in the 78th minute, has resumed full training and is not anticipated to miss the upcoming fixture.

For the visitors, Wagner’s squad has been notably weakened in attack ahead of this trip.

Timo Hubers (knee) underwent a second procedure in mid-August after his recovery from the initial surgery did not progress as planned; he is not anticipated to return until early 2027.

Thijs Dallinga has not participated since the opening win against Hoffenheim, where he scored twice as a substitute, and with Dallinga unavailable, Ragnar Ache is expected to spearhead the attack as center-forward.

Said El Mala is now fully fit, with Wagner confirming in his press conference that the winger “has trained fully all week” and is a leading candidate to start; Gian-Luca Waldschmidt returned from a thigh issue ahead of the Bremen fixture, and Sebastian Sebulonsen has also recovered from muscular problems, both adding valuable depth to the squad.

Hamburgo SV probable starting XI:

Fernandes; Omari, Torunarigha, Capaldo; El Ouahdi, Lokonga, Remberg, Moller Wolfe; Gronbaek, Scallop; Moffi

FC Koln probable starting XI:

Schwabe; Castro-Montes, Simpson-Pusey, Lochoshvili, Mensah; Skhiri, Krauss; Maina, El Mala, Moore; Ache

A week ago, Koln faced the challenge of heading to Hamburg knowing they might be without two significant attacking assets, but El Mala is now fit to start while Dallinga’s ongoing absence means Ragnar Ache will lead the front line, presenting a more direct approach while diminishing Dallinga’s impact from the bench.

HSV’s advantage of playing at home and their urgent need for their first Bundesliga goal makes them a potential threat, yet Koln’s midfield control through Skhiri and Krauss, coupled with El Mala’s speed against a defense that has allowed more than four goals per game, could provide the visitors with a slight advantage, predicting a narrow win for Koln.