Hamburg SV vs Freiburg – News and Probable Lineups

Europa League finalists Freiburg are set to resume their Bundesliga campaign against Hamburgo SV, who will host them at Volksparkstadion on Sunday.

Freiburg, currently in seventh place with 44 points, are significantly ahead of 12th-placed Hamburgo, who have accumulated 34 points. The visiting side holds a Conference League spot with only two league matches left to play.

Match overview

The home team is assured of playing in the top division next season, sitting eight points clear of the 16th-position playoff spot, thanks to their 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on May 2.

Hamburgo’s head coach Merlin Polzin will be pleased with his team’s performances this season, especially after seven seasons spent fighting for promotion from the second tier.

Perhaps fortunate for Polzin, other teams in the vicinity have also dropped points consistently, as Hamburgo has managed to gather only five points from the last 21 available.

During this stretch, HSV conceded 15 goals across the seven encounters while scoring just eight times, netting only once in four of those matches.

After losing 2-1 to Hoffenheim on April 25, Polzin’s squad has yet to win at home in five games, and another defeat this weekend would mark their fourth loss in six outings at Volksparkstadion.

Freiburg is on the brink of making history after their 3-1 win against Braga in the Europa League on Thursday, a result that secured their advancement in the semi-finals with a 4-3 aggregate score.

The visitors now turn their attention to the final against Aston Villa on May 20, but their immediate priority will be to snap their two-match winless run in the Bundesliga and avoid suffering a second defeat in three domestic contests.

Concerns have arisen regarding Breisgau-Brasilianer’s performances in the attacking third, as they have scored once or less in four of their last five outings across all competitions while conceding at least two goals in three of those matches.

With eighth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt trailing them by only a point, the chance of qualifying for the Conference League through league placement is not guaranteed, especially with Freiburg facing a challenging match against RB Leipzig in the 34th week.

Head coach Julian Schuster has witnessed three consecutive defeats away from home, although two of those losses occurred in Europe and the DFB-Pokal, yet they have secured victories in two of their last three Bundesliga away games.

Should Freiburg secure three points on Sunday, it will mark their third consecutive victory against their hosts, having won the reverse fixture 2-1 in January.

Team News

In their match against Frankfurt, Hamburgo employed a back three consisting of Nicolas Capaldo, Warmed Omari, and Jordânia Torunarigha, with the latter being substituted late in the contest.

With their safety now secured, it’s reasonable to expect Luka Vuskovic to enter the starting lineup, with the center-back likely supported by midfielders Nicolai Remberg and Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Patrick Osterhage of Freiburg is sidelined due to a knee issue, preventing him from featuring in a double pivot, although Maximilian Eggestein and Johan Manzambi have partnered regularly throughout the season.

Striker Matanovic is the leading scorer for the team in the Bundesliga this year (eight goals), with wide players Jan-Niklas Beste and Vincenzo Grifo expected to provide support.

The defense will likely be marshaled by goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, along with central defenders Matthias Ginter and Ifechukwu Ogbus.

Hamburgo SV probable starting XI:

Fernandes; Capaldo, Vuskovic, Omari; Mikelbrencis, Remberg, Lokonga, Gronbaek; Vieira; Glatzel, Konigsdorffer

Freiburg probable starting XI:

Atubolu; Kubler, Ginter, Ogbus, Gunter; Eggestein, Sins; Beste, Holer, Tap; Matanovic

Despite Hamburgo achieving success last time, they have struggled to maintain a steady stream of positive outcomes.

Freiburg will still aim for a European qualification via their league performance, but following a demanding Europa League encounter on Thursday, their challenges on Sunday may not be surprising.