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Augsburg
FreiburgAugsburg come into this one with a bit of a split personality problem. Brilliant early on, then nowhere near as convincing once the season got going properly. Manuel Baum’s side opened up with back to back wins that had people paying attention, but that energy has drained away over the last five Bundesliga games without a single victory to show. Freiburg, meanwhile, had everyone thinking they might genuinely challenge at the top after nine unbeaten to start the campaign, only to then ship three straight defeats. Neither side is in quite the form you would want heading into a game that matters this much.
That said, both teams got minutes in the DFB-Pokal midweek, and while cup results do not always tell you much about league readiness, the confidence of getting through should help. This is a fixture with a real edge to it given what is at stake in the table for both clubs.
The game takes place at the WWK Arena in Augsburg, with both sides fully aware of what a positive result could do for their Bundesliga season. Augsburg are sitting ninth and sandwiched uncomfortably between the European places and the drop zone, while Freiburg are third but being pressed hard from below and need a response after a rough patch in the league.
Augsburg are seriously short at the back after a bruising encounter with Union Berlin last weekend, with Baum forced into some creative thinking with his defensive setup.
Freiburg have a few fitness concerns of their own, though the news is a little more positive on that front.
Baum does not have much wiggle room at centre back. Yannik Keitel, Chrislain Matsima and Jeffrey Gouweleeuw look set to form the back three, with Marius Wolf and Hennes Behrens pushing forward as wing backs. With Mounie out, Michael Gregoritsch leads the line, supported by Anton Kade and Arijon Ibrahimovic behind him.
Freiburg boss Julian Schuster should be able to put out a relatively settled side. Makengo is expected to come through on the left, with Lukas Kubler on the opposite flank. Matthias Ginter and Philipp Lienhart anchor the defence in front of keeper Noah Backhaus. If Scherhant is passed fit, he starts wide, otherwise Grifo slots in. Keisuke Goto showed what he can do in midweek with a brace but Ivan Matanovic is likely to lead the line in league action.
Augsburg’s start to the season felt like something was genuinely clicking. Beating Schalke 3-0 on the opening day and then thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 in the second game had people taking them seriously. But since those two wins, they have not managed to win any of their five Bundesliga matches, losing twice and drawing three times. The 1-1 with Union Berlin last Saturday summed it up, a side that can stay in games but cannot quite find the killer instinct to put them to bed.
Their home form does offer something to cling onto. Augsburg have not lost at the WWK Arena this season, and Tuesday’s 4-2 cup win over Sonnenhof Grossaspach, while admittedly against lower level opposition, will have loosened the legs and settled the nerves a little going into this.
Freiburg’s trajectory is a concern. Nine games unbeaten, eight wins in that run, and then a Leverkusen defeat that seemed to knock something loose. Three straight defeats followed, against Leverkusen, Monaco and Bayern, all tough opponents granted, but the manner of it will have worried Schuster. Their midweek cup win over Wolfsburg needed a comeback and goals from Goto to get over the line, which is not exactly a ruthless performance. Crucially, Freiburg have not won a Bundesliga away game since the 1-0 at Paderborn back in early September.
This fixture has historically been a tight one. Augsburg and Freiburg tend to keep things close when they meet, with neither side particularly inclined to run riot against the other. Home advantage has played a role in past meetings, which suits Augsburg given their unbeaten home record this term.
Freiburg have shown they can pick up results on the road in this fixture, but given they have not won away in the league for nearly two months, and given Augsburg’s solidity at the WWK Arena, the away side will need to be at their best to take anything from this one.
This is the kind of fixture where the table position does not tell the whole story. Augsburg are not as bad as a run without a win suggests, especially at home, and Freiburg are not as shaky as three consecutive defeats imply. But you have to work with the current momentum, and right now neither side is pulling up trees. A tight, hard fought game feels nailed on.
Neither Augsburg nor Freiburg are sides that pepper the box with crosses relentlessly, and with both teams likely to be cautious given what is at stake, expect a relatively modest corners count. Under 10 corners looks a reasonable call for this one.
Michael Gregoritsch leading the line for Augsburg in front of his home crowd is the pick here. He is the focal point of Baum’s attack with Mounie out, the service should come through Ibrahimovic and Kade, and he is experienced enough in this league to make the most of whatever chances fall his way.
Given Augsburg’s recent struggles to win games and Freiburg’s defensive resilience even when they have been underperforming, this has the look of a low scoring affair. Under 2.5 goals makes sense here, with both sides likely to be cautious and neither in the kind of free scoring form that suggests a goal fest.
A 1-1 draw feels like the most natural outcome. Augsburg have the home advantage and the motivation, Freiburg have the quality to nick something, and the recent form of both sides points toward a game where neither can quite get over the line. One goal each, points shared.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Match Result | Draw |
| Over/Under Goals | Under 2.5 Goals |
| Both Teams to Score | Yes |
A draw with both teams scoring and the game staying under 2.5 goals points perfectly toward that 1-1 scoreline and reflects the tight, cagey nature you would expect from two sides desperate not to lose.
Augsburg have too much to lose at home to sit back and let this one drift, and their unbeaten record at the WWK Arena this season gives them genuine reason for confidence. Freiburg have the class to cause problems but their away form and current confidence levels make a convincing win look unlikely.
The most likely outcome here is a point apiece. Both managers would probably take that before kickoff given where their respective teams are. Predicted score: Augsburg 1-1 Freiburg.
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