Vincent West
Dailysports's expert
On May 10, at the Volksparkstadion, the 33rd round of the German 2. Bundesliga will see Hamburg take on Ulm. For this clash, I’m offering a bet on goals, cards, and the match winner.
Hamburg
This team boasts an impressive and storied history. For years, they prided themselves on being the only club to play in every single Bundesliga 1 season—until, eventually, that run ended. No one expected their absence from the top flight to last this long. In fact, since then, the second-division giants have made it to the promotion playoffs just once (unsuccessfully), and otherwise have consistently finished in what seems a cursed fourth place—just like in 2024.
This season, Hamburg was clearly determined to break out of that vicious cycle. But once again, problems cropped up at the business end of the campaign. Instead of clinching the top spot early, they suffered home defeats to Eintracht Braunschweig and Karlsruher, and managed only a draw away at Schalke. Their breakthrough finally came against Darmstadt: a resounding 4-0 win.
Ulm
Back in 1999, Ulm earned the right to make their Bundesliga 1 debut. However, they were relegated after just one season and subsequently slipped further down the football pyramid. As recently as 2014-2016, they were competing at the fifth tier. But last season, Ulm stormed through the 3. Liga, finishing top and earning promotion!
As expected, the newcomers—who just over a year ago weren’t even in the third division—are finding the fight for survival tough. But it’s far from hopeless: after the spring international break, Ulm put together a string of victories, making their bid to stay up look increasingly realistic. However, they did lose 1-2 to Hannover in the last round.
Match facts
- Hamburg went three games without a win before the last round
- On average, Hamburg scores 2.19 goals and concedes 1.25 per match
- Ulm have won three times in their last six matches
Head-to-head
In the 1999/2000 season, Hamburg and the newly-promoted Ulm traded 2-1 victories. When they finally met again this December, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Hamburg vs Ulm prediction
Bookmakers are confident the hosts won’t let this one slip. Back Hamburg with a -1.5 goal handicap (odds: 2.05).
