Hamburger SV vs. St. Pauli preview: Who will claim derby bragging rights? | OneFootball

Hamburger SV

Hamburg are competing in the top flight for the first time since 2017/18 after ending their long wait for promotion last season. Merlin Polzin’s side finished in second spot to win automatic promotion alongside 2.Bundesliga winners Köln.

HSV kicked off the campaign with an extra-time victory over Pirmasens in the DFB-Pokal, before they turned their attention to their opening Bundesliga game against Borussia Mönchengladbach, which saw the two sides play out a goalless draw in a cagey affair.

They will now be looking to collect all three in their first Bundesliga meeting with St. Pauli since February 2011. HSV managed to pick up a 1-0 victory at Volksparkstadion when they last faced their bitter rivals in a 2.Bundesliga encounter in May 2025. In fact, they have won each of their last three head-to-head home meetings. Hamburg are now looking to beat St. Pauli in four successive home matches for the first time since they achieved the feat in a period of four games from June 1991 to December 2001.

Team News

Robert Glatzel and Silvan Hefti have returned to training after missing the league opener against Gladbach. The pair could be fit to make the matchday squad, while Jean-Luc Dompé is an option to start, having shaken off his recent ankle issue.

Predicted lineup: Fernandes; Omari, Elfadli, Torunrigha; Gocholeishvili, Remberg, Capaldo, Muheim; Sahiti, Dompé, Königsdörffer

St. Pauli

St. Pauli are participating in the Bundesliga for a second consecutive season after successfully avoiding the drop last term. Alexander Blessin’s side collected 32 points from 34 matches to finish in 14th place and three points clear of the bottom three.

The Kiezkicker started the 2025/26 campaign with a nervy first-round Pokal tie against Norderstedt, with the top-flight club requiring penalties to see off their fourth-tier opponents. St. Pauli were then involved in a six-goal thriller in their Bundesliga opener against Borussia Dortmund. They appeared to be heading towards a 3-1 defeat until Dortmund’s Filippo Mané was penalised for denying a goalscoring opportunity. Mané was sent off, and Danel Sinani stepped up to dispatch the subsequent spot-kick. St. Pauli completed the dramatic comeback when Eric Smith netted an 89th-minute equaliser to snatch a point.

They will attempt to build upon that late fightback in their first away match of the Bundesliga season. The visitors may be able to draw some inspiration from the fact that they avoided defeat in their final three away league games of the 2024/25 campaign (W1, D2). They are aiming to win an away derby clash against Hamburg for the first time since picking up a 2-0 win in February 2020.

Team News

Blessin will be unable to call upon Ricky-Jade Jones, Karol Mets and David Memeth due to injury. Meanwhile, captain Jackson Irvine and forward Abdoulie Ceesay are out with foot problems.

Predicted lineup: Vasij; Wahl, Smith, Ritzka; Pyrka, Sands, Fujita, Oppie; Sinani; Hountondji, Pereira Lage