HSV’s injury list grows before the first of two games against Frankfurt in five days
HSV and Frankfurt meet twice in five days: tonight in the cup in Hamburg, then on Sunday in the Bundesliga in Frankfurt. Merlin Polzin goes into the first game with a much weaker squad. Playmaker Fábio Vieira and Bilal Nadir picked up thigh injuries in the 1-0 defeat at Paderborn, striker Yussuf Poulsen has a hip problem, and captain Nicolai Remberg is out for months with a cruciate ligament injury. Adi Hütter, by contrast, says he has no absentees.
„Wir sind überhaupt keine Opfer.“ („We are not victims at all.“) – HSV coach Merlin Polzin
Predicted lineups: HSV vs Frankfurt
Polzin has confirmed that cup goalkeeper Sander Tangvik will start ahead of Daniel Heuer Fernandes. Terem Moffi and Patson Daka are „definitely ready“, although Daka’s minutes will be managed, and hessenschau expects Otto Stange to lead the line. Capaldo, Torunarigha and the suspended Vušković are also missing. Hütter said he will rotate across the two games, with Can Uzun pushing for a start and Nnamdi Collins at risk of losing his place after a poor game in Dortmund.
HSV Team News & Preview
The attack was HSV’s weak point even before this week’s injuries. They have six goals in seven Bundesliga games, the lowest expected goals figure of either side tonight, and in Paderborn neither team managed a shot on target in the first half. HSV’s sporting director admitted the football „isn’t exactly getting the crowd out of their seats“, and Polzin called the performance unsatisfactory in terms of attitude and intensity.
Losing Vieira hurts most. He is the player who links midfield and attack, and with Poulsen also out HSV lose their two most important attacking players at once. Their home form has been better than their away form – wins over Köln and Stuttgart after a 5-0 defeat by Mainz – but both wins came by a single goal.
What works for or against HSV
- Two wins in three home league games.
- Vieira, Nadir and Poulsen have joined Remberg on the injury list.
- Only six goals in seven Bundesliga games.
- Cup goalkeeper Tangvik replaces Heuer Fernandes.
Frankfurt Team News & Preview
Frankfurt’s season has been patchy. They are 14th after losing 6-0 in Leipzig, beating Köln 1-0 and losing 1-0 in Dortmund, where they created 0.92 expected goals to Dortmund’s 1.36 and Atubolu made several good saves. Hütter called it „a step in the right direction“ but admitted: „Wir sind in einer Findungsphase, ich wollte natürlich schon weiter sein“ („We’re still finding ourselves; naturally I wanted to be further along“).
The attack still has quality. Younes Ebnoutalib has five league goals and the best FotMob rating in the squad, and Jonathan Burkardt is a proven Bundesliga striker. The defence is the problem: Frankfurt concede 2.43 goals per game. Hütter wants „Aggressivität“ as the basis for tonight.
What works for or against Frankfurt
- A fully fit squad, with no new injuries.
- Ebnoutalib has five league goals.
- 2.43 goals conceded per league game.
- Hütter will rotate before Sunday's league meeting.
HSV vs Frankfurt Odds
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Hamburg Form, Stats & Data
Under one expected goal and 3.3 shots on target per game are very low numbers, and they were recorded with Vieira and Poulsen in the side. HSV’s three league wins have all been tight, and the record against stronger sides – 0-5 against Mainz, 0-5 in Leipzig – shows how quickly they can be overrun. With Poulsen out, Miro Muheim is the only remaining player with two league goals.
Frankfurt Form, Stats & Data
Frankfurt create far more than HSV – 1.71 expected goals and 5.4 shots on target per game – but give away too much at the back. Six of their 17 goals conceded came in Leipzig, so the defensive record is skewed by one bad afternoon, but the expected goals against figure of 2.07 still points to a fragile side.
HSV vs Frankfurt: Prediction & Betting Tip
Frankfurt have a full squad and HSV are missing their playmaker, their main striker and their captain. Even before those injuries, HSV were scoring under a goal a game and creating less than one expected goal. Frankfurt’s attack is clearly better, so I expect them to create the better chances tonight.
Frankfurt’s defence is the risk. They concede more than two goals per game, Hütter is rotating with Sunday’s game in mind, and HSV have won two of their three home league games. That is why I prefer to have the draw covered rather than back a Frankfurt win outright. I am taking Eintracht Frankfurt Draw No Bet at 1.53 with Winz and expect a 2-1 away win.