Hamburg vs Arminia Bielefeld Predictions

• Arminia Bielefeld have won only one of their last five away league games, failing to score on three occasions
• Hamburg have won nine of their last 11 league games on home soil
• Seven of Arminia’s 13 away games have been goalless at the break

Hamburg can enhance title credentials

Bookmakers believe Stuttgart are the biggest obstacle to leaders Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga II title race but Hamburg can lay down their marker and bridge the gap to just four points with a home victory over the table toppers.

Both Hamburg and Arminia Bielefeld had to settle for a point on last weekend’s return to action after conceding injury-time goals against Greuther Furth and Osnabruck respectively.

However, there were more positives to take from the performance of Hamburg who were up against better opposition and the return to home soil, where they have won nine of their last 11 league games, is predicted to give them the upper hand.

Dieter Hecking’s hosts, who thumped promotion rivals Stuttgart 6-2 at the Volksparkstadion earlier in the campaign, have conceded just nine goals in 12 home games this term and are worthy of favouritism.

Arminia Bielefeld showing signs of faltering

Arminia Bielefeld were held to a 1-1 draw at home to 13th-placed Osnabruck last weekend and it was a worrying result against a side who arrived on the back of an eight-game winless run.

Arminia dominated possession but created little and were deservedly pegged back late on. The hosts lost the shot statistics 10-6, registering just two chances on target, and a repeat performance would surely see them leave Hamburg empty-handed.

The Blues dropped just two points from their opening eight away games but have won only one of their last five road trips and appear to be faltering as the title gets closer to their grasp.

Arminia failed to score in three of those away clashes at Heidenheim, St Pauli and Erzgebirge Aue and they will be relying on striker Fabian Klos, who tops the Bundesliga II scoring charts with 17 goals, to bring his A-game.

Game of fine margins

Arminia find themselves where they are in the table because they are well-organised and hard to beat under Uwe Neuhaus and things should prove no different here.

Seven of Arminia’s 13 away games have been goalless at the break and Neuhaus knows avoiding defeat in Hamburg would see his side take one giant step towards the title.

However, keeping this Hamburg side at bay on home soil is a difficult task and Arminia are not as potent as they were earlier in the campaign.

The visitors have netted more than once in only three of their last ten league games and could struggle to find a breakthrough against a Hamburg side with five clean sheets in ten home outings.

Hamburg have opened the scoring in eight of their 12 home league games this term and one goal may be enough to separate the sides, so we’re settling for a 1-0 correct score prediction on Saturday.