Augsburg will host Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in the Bundesliga. This season, both teams have established themselves as comeback kings in the German top division. Die Fuggerstadter earned a league-high 12 points from losing situations. BVB only managed to pick up 11 points within the same time frame.
Preview (Augsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund)
Last weekend, Augsburg’s remarkable six-game Bundesliga winning streak came to an end. They lost 2-0 on the road to Werder Bremen. Die Fuggerstadter’s fifth league defeat of the season was sealed by goals from Niklas Stark and Marvin Ducksch on either side of halftime, but they are still in the top half of the standings, sitting ninth and six points behind the European qualification spots. Twelve of Augsburg’s seventeen points this season have come from the WWK ARENA. Only two teams have amassed more points in their opening seven home games. Jess Thorup’s team will undoubtedly be happy to be back home on Saturday.
Augsburg has been playing well in front of their supporters. Their inability to maintain a clean sheet in any of their 15 games this season across all competitions. It has hindered them from mounting a genuine challenge to finish in the top six. Before their match on Saturday against Dortmund, who have given up more goals against (61) than any other side in the Bundesliga, including three in a 3-0 home loss the previous season, Die Fuggerstadter is concerned about this particular statistic. Borussia Dortmund’s start to December has been frustrating as they have lost all four of their games.
BVB had already secured their spot in the round of 16 thanks to a goal from Karim Adeyemi. Five minutes later, Warren Zaire-Emery tied the score to save a point for the French champions. It helped them advance to the next round. Although Dortmund will try to turn things around in the Bundesliga before finding out who their next opponents are in Monday’s draw, Edin Terzic will undoubtedly have plenty to cheer about after his team won just one of their last six games. They emerged victorious from the ‘Group of Death’.
Team News
Both Augsburg players, Raphael Framberger (knee) and Reed Oxford (long COVID), are still out. Dion Beljo (ankle) and Iago (thigh) are questionable; they will be evaluated before kickoff. After recovering from illness to play as a second-half substitute last weekend, Poland’s Robert Gumny is a candidate to take Kevin Mbabu’s spot at right-back after the Fulham loanee went out. Augsburg’s best scorer this season, Ermedin Demirovic, will likely accompany central striker Philip Tietz in attack.
Regarding Dortmund, Hummels will serve a one-match ban this weekend, and Youssoufa Moukoko (hamstring), Julien Duranville (thigh), Felix Nmecha (hip), and Julian Ryerson (knee) are still in the treatment room due to injuries. In the absence of Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck’s partner Nikolas Sule is expected to start in the center of defense, and Thomas Meunier could start at right-back instead of Marius Wolf, who just made a full recovery from an ankle injury.
Emre Can is expected to make a comeback to the starting lineup after missing the midweek Champions League match against PSG due to suspension. He could partner with either Salih Ozcan or Marcel Sabitzer in center midfield, freeing up Julian Brandt to operate further forward in behind Niclas Fullkrug, who scored his fifth goal of the year against Leipzig last weekend.
Augsburg 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
For more football previews, click here
