- Hamburger SV (3 wins, 2 defeats) come into this Friday game coming off a 2-match losing streak.
- Borussia Monchengladbach (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 defeats) have won their last 2 games.
- HSV are 11th in the Bundesliga 2026/2027 with 9 points after 7 games, Gladbach are 18th with 3 points.
Hamburg can be hard to beat
Hamburg are slight favourites with the bookies to beat Gladbach, but I wouldn't say Die Rothosen are overwhelming favourites for this Friday's Bundesliga fixture at Volksparkstadion.
Merlin Polzin has set his side up to be a disciplined and compact unit, a shell with a back three and a few players ahead that can be patient and pick their moments.
They are a team that sets out to frustrate, rather than one that likes to trade blows, and they can be tough to get through, as Gladbach found out 9 months ago when the last meeting between these sides finished goalless at Volksparkstadion.
Foals are faster than HSV
This looks like a clash between control and chaos, HSV are a side that have won 2 and lost 1 from their 3 Bundesliga 2026/2027 home fixtures, but Gladbach's record of 1 win and 3 defeats from 4 isn't that much worse.
Gladbach's problem is they have conceded 3.00 goals per game on the road, but HSV have allowed 6 in their 3 home games this season, so it's hard to imagine there won't be plenty of opportunities for both teams to get a few goals in.
There's a bit of a value on goals in this one at 11/20, but the draw is also good odds at 27/10 and feels the most likely outcome in a game that could be very tight and tense.
Gladbach have the freshest players
Gladbach's recent run of 1-2 home defeat to Hoffenheim, 2-3 away win over VfB Stuttgart and 2-0 home win over Karlsruher SC in the DFB Pokal shows how they are all over the place at the moment.
Alexander Blessin's men are trying to be more positive and aggressive, they press high and play a quicker game, but it could be a case of which Gladbach shows up on Friday.
Hugo Bolin has the club's goals on a shoe string with 2 goals in 4 Bundesliga games, but they need more players to chip in, and HSV need Nicolas Capaldo to be a bigger influence with just 1 Bundesliga goal in 4 games, so it's Albert Groenbaek that has been the spark with 2 assists in 4 games.
It's a big call to go against Hamburger SV on home soil, but the odds and recent head-to-heads suggest that this should be another close game that Gladbach are capable of nicking off turnovers and their extra freshness.
