Maintain strong away form at HSV

FSV have been unbeaten on the road since mid-February

Phillip Tietz (centre) and Ransford Königsdörffer (back left), who was still wearing HSV colours at the time, during the last meeting between the two sides.

The first away match of the current Bundesliga season is coming up. After the 0-0 draw against newly promoted SC Paderborn in the opening game, FSV travel to Hamburger SV on Sunday (15:30, Volksparkstadion, live on DAZN and 05ER.fm). Mainz 05 do not look back too fondly on last year’s visit. Back then, they suffered a 4-0 defeat and one of the low points of the previous season. However, Mainz 05 head coach Urs Fischer does not want to talk about making amends: “A new season has started and the cards have been reshuffled. There are still a few things we can take from that game, and this year we definitely want to do better.”

Facts and figures ahead of the game

Even record

The two teams have met 26 times so far. The record stands at eight wins for FSV, nine draws and nine wins for HSV, making it an extremely close contest. All Mainz fans travelling away will surely look back particularly fondly on the 2010/11 season, when Marcel Risse, Florian Heller and an André Schürrle brace gave the side from Rheinhessen a 4-2 win. The most recent meeting in February 2026 ended in a 1-1 draw.

Strong away from home

In 2026, only FC Bayern Munich have picked up more points away from home than FSV. Eighteen points from ten away matches underline Mainz 05’s strength on the road, away from the MEWA ARENA.

The next generation duel

Urs Fischer has played a major part in the Rheinhessen side’s away strength. Under the Swiss coach, Mainz 05 have been difficult to beat: of 11 Bundesliga away games, they have lost just two, most recently against Dortmund in February. As was the case in the opening match, there will also be a generation duel on the touchline. At 60, Fischer is the oldest head coach in the Bundesliga, while HSV coach Merlin Polzin is the youngest at 35. When Fischer ended his playing career in 2003, Polzin was still a 12-year-old playing in the youth setup of Hamburg club Bramfelder SV.

First team 04.09.2026

“An exciting challenge that will demand everything from us”

HSV’s home struggles

Hamburger SV have struggled at home in 2026, winning only two of their last nine home games since the winter break. The Hanseatic side have yet to record back-to-back home wins this year, a fact that could play into Mainz’s hands.

Reunion for Königsdörffer

Ransford Königsdörffer moved from the Elbe to the Rhine in the summer. Last season, the 24-year-old was one of HSV’s most effective attacking players. In the upcoming match at the Volksparkstadion, he will face his former club for the first time in a Mainz 05 shirt and will be eager to show his eye for goal against his old teammates.

Beware birthday boy Poulsen

Yussuf Poulsen will also need to be watched closely. The Dane is set to make his 250th Bundesliga appearance and has scored more goals against Mainz 05 than against any other club in his career, with five in total. Although his last goal against FSV came almost five years ago, the Mainz defence will still need to keep a close eye on the veteran.

Waiting for the first goal of the season

In their opening draw against Paderborn, Mainz just could not find the back of the net. They registered a total of 16 shots, but lacked the necessary efficiency. A good omen, however: last year, their first goal of the season also came away from home on matchday two, in a 1-1 draw in Wolfsburg.

The referee team

Tobias Reichel will referee the match. He will be assisted on the sidelines by Christian Bandurski and Marcel Unger, with Felix Bickel as fourth official. Tobias Welz and Robert Kampka will serve as video assistant referees.

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