1. FC Heidenheim vs. Hamburger SV: DFB-Pokal preview, team news & predicted lineups
| HSV Debut for Peretz | Maja Hitij/Getty Images |
Survival is the only target for Heidenheim and Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga, but one of them will book a Third Round DFB-Pokal ticket on Tuesday.
Heidenheim
Frank Schmidt’s side only managed a single win in the first eight Bundesliga matchdays. They lost all their games away from home, bar the curtain-raiser in the cup against fourth-tier Bahlinger SC.
The win against Augsburg and a 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen are the only exceptions in their dire start to the league season. Heidenheim snatched a European Conference League spot in their debut Bundesliga season, but they needed the playoffs to stay in the league last term.
In the cup, Schmidt’s team were knocked out at this stage in each of the past three campaigns. The last time Heidenheim progressed from the second round was in the 2018/19 season when they knocked out SV Sandhausen.
Team News
Mikkel Kaufmann and Sirlord Conteh were the reasons for that win against Agusburg, but both of them are currently on the sidelines due to injuries. Summer signing Leart Paçarada is also out with a cruciate ligament tear.
Hamburger SV
The three-time Pokal winners reached the semi-finals when Heidenheim progressed from the second round. HSV were also in the last four back in the 2021/22 season, but their dream of reaching the final for the first time since 1986/87 was ended by SC Freiburg.
Freiburg also knocked out HSV from the cup last season at this stage. The Traditionsverein finally returned to Bundesliga, but their start hasn’t been convincing as they lost consecutive games for the second time with the home defeat to the struggling Wolfsburg side.
However, it was against Heidenheim that they secured their first win back in Bundesliga. Summer signings Luka Vuskovic, Rayan Philippe, and Fábio Vieira played starring roles in the 2-1 victory. Philippe also scored a brace in HSV’s 4-0 win over Mainz at the start of the month.
Team News
Daniel Peretz is expected to make his debut for HSV on Tuesday. After Manuel Neuer’s sending off, the goalkeeper came off the bench in Bayern’s exit at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen last term.
Predicted Lineups
Heidenheim: Ramaj; Traoré, Mainka ©, Siersleben, Föhrenbach; Niehues; Ibrahimovic, Schöppner, Beck; Honsak; Schimmer
HSV: Peretz; Capaldo ©, Vuskovic, Elfadli; Mikelbrencis, Fabio Vieira, Remberg, Muheim; Philippe, Königsdörffer, Rössing-Lelesiit
