One week following their attainment of the joint-largest victory in Bundesliga history, Augsburg is set to host Heidenheim at the WWK Arena this Saturday afternoon.
Heidenheim Football Club (FCH) will be aiming to retaliate against Die Fuggerstadter following their previous 5-2 home loss in the reverse fixture five months ago.
Match preview
In only their second consecutive triumph of the season, Augsburg celebrated back-to-back victories in the Bundesliga. Following a 2-1 win over Freiburg, they secured a resounding 6-0 victory away against the bottom-ranked SV Darmstadt 98 last weekend, achieving their first clean sheet of the campaign in the process.
A series of defensive lapses from the hosts allowed Die Fuggerstadter to swiftly amass a five-goal lead within just 29 minutes at the Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor. Ermedin Demirovic found the net twice, while Phillip Tietz added a sixth goal with his second of the afternoon in the latter stages of the second half.
Jess Thorup’s squad is understandably buoyant following successive Bundesliga wins, which have propelled them past Saturday’s opponents Heidenheim into 10th place in the league standings. They currently sit 12 points clear of the relegation zone and eight points adrift of the top six, with 10 matches remaining in the season.
After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Augsburg aims to secure their first top-half finish in nine years. They recognize that a victory this weekend could potentially elevate them to eighth place in the standings, contingent upon favorable results elsewhere.
Thorup marked his inaugural victory as Augsburg’s manager when his team rallied from a two-goal deficit to secure a 5-2 victory against Heidenheim in the previous encounter. Augsburg is optimistic about securing another three points this weekend, given the recent struggles of their opponents.
Indeed, Heidenheim has won only one of their first eight Bundesliga matches in 2024 and has suffered defeat in each of their last three games, including a 2-1 loss at home to Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.
While Heidenheim managed to halve Frankfurt’s two-goal lead with a goal from substitute Marvin Pieringer just before the hour mark, they were unable to salvage a point and succumbed to their 10th defeat of the season.
Nonetheless, Frank Schmidt’s team is not in immediate danger of relegation and is on track for a respectable mid-table finish in their inaugural Bundesliga campaign. They currently sit 11 points clear of the relegation zone with 10 matches remaining.
Heidenheim, having failed to win any of their last four home fixtures, looks forward to their upcoming visit to the WWK Arena this weekend. Their recent away form has been more promising, as they remain undefeated in their last five top-flight away matches, accruing nine points in the process.
Team News
In the forthcoming match, Augsburg faces certain squad challenges as Raphael Framberger, Patric Pfeiffer, and Reece Oxford are incapacitated due to respective knee injury, hip issue, and illness. Additionally, Mads Pedersen will be absent for his third consecutive game due to suspension.
In Pedersen’s absence, Iago is anticipated to maintain his position as the left-back, complementing Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, Felix Uduokhai, and Kevin Mbabu in a defensive quartet.
Notably, the team’s leading scorer Demirovic, who has tallied 14 goals this season, including six in the past six matches, is poised to lead the attack alongside Tietz, with Ruben Vargas operating in the playmaker’s role.
On the other hand, Heidenheim faces its own roster challenges with Elidon Qenaj and Thomas Keller sidelined due to prolonged knee injuries, and Lennard Maloney and Jan-Niklas Beste listed as doubtful due to knee and hamstring concerns, respectively.
The defensive lineup of Marnon-Thomas Busch, Patrick Mainka, Benedikt Gimber, and Jonas Fohrenbach is expected to remain unchanged, while Jan Schoppner and Kevin Sessa are set to partner in the central midfield.
Omar Traore is likely to earn another start on the right flank, with Eren Dinkci continuing on the left. In the number 10 position, Pieringer, Adrian Beck, and Nikola Dovedan are all contenders for a starting role behind Tim Kleindienst, who has only managed to score one goal in his last eight outings.
Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Dahmen; Mbabu, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Iago; Jensen, Jakic, Maier; Vargas; Tietz, Demirovic
Heidenheim possible starting lineup:
Muller; Busch, Mainka, Gimber, Fohrenbach; Sessa, Schoppner; Traore, Dovedan, Dinkci; Kleindienst