In what could be a crucial relegation battle, SC Paderborn will welcome Hamburger SV to Home Deluxe Arena on Saturday in matchweek seven of the Bundesliga.

The 16th-placed hosts have just five points so far, and they currently trail ninth-placed Hamburger by four points, and failure to beat the visitors could put them at a significant disadvantage in the race for survival.

Match preview

Paderborn come into the weekend having drawn 2-2 with Werder Bremen on October 17, a game in which they created numerous chances in front of goal, though they were wasteful in the final third.

It will be a concern to boss Ralf Kettemann that his side faced 22 shots despite producing 36 of their own, but they have taken four points from the last nine on offer.

While only three points separate 17th from 10th, results on the weekend could leave the hosts trailing safety by at least two points, and that could be demoralising even at this early stage of the campaign.

Home Deluxe Arena has not been a fortress so far this term, with Paderborn losing two of their four league games at the ground in 2026-27, winning their other two fixtures at the stadium.

Kettemann's side failed to score in their two defeats at Home Deluxe Arena, while they are without a clean sheet in any of their past 18 contests at the ground.

Hamburger may have started the campaign in poor fashion, with no points from their first three league matches, but they have triumphed in each of their last three Bundesliga clashes.

The club's 1-0 win against Stuttgart on October 17 means they have taken as many points in their last three fixtures (nine) as they had in their prior 12 top-flight outings.

HSV managed to score six goals during those victories, and while the only kept one clean sheet, they conceded just three times.

Manager Merlin Polzin oversaw a 3-2 success against Hoffenheim on October 10, and that ended a streak of two consecutive away losses in the Bundesliga.

HSV are winless in their last five encounters with Paderborn, with Saturday's hosts winning three times in that period.

SC Paderborn Bundesliga form:

Hamburger SV Bundesliga form:

Team News

Paderborn will be without attackers Timur Gayret and Oliver Batista Meier, as well as centre-back Nyamekye Awortwie-Grant.

Expect to see Stefano Marino and Steffen Tigges paired in a front two, while the hosts' three-man defence may consist of Jano ter Horst, Tjark Scheller and Mattes Hansen.

Hamburger's injury list includes key stars like forward Patson Daka (hamstring) and midfielder Nicolai Remberg (knee).

In the frontline, striker Yussuf Poulsen will hope to score his third goal in four games, though he will need support from attackers Fabio Vieira and Albert Gronbaek.

Bilal Nadir and Miro Muheim could be used together in a double pivot ahead of centre-backs Nicolas Capaldo, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Warmed Omari.

SC Paderborn possible starting lineup:

Noll; Ter Horst, Scheller, Hansen; Curda, Ulrich, Castaneda, Vidovic, Obermair; Marino, Tigges

Hamburger SV possible starting lineup:

Fernandes; Capaldo, Bornauw, Omari; El Ouahdi, Nadir, Muheim, Wolfe; Vieira, Gronbaek; Poulsen

We say: SC Paderborn 0-2 Hamburger SV

Considering Hamburger have been in exceptional form of late, they will rightly be seen as favourites on Saturday.

Paderborn's performances at home have too often been disappointing, and with their defence often exposed, anything other than an away victory would be surprising.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.