RB Leipzig, aiming for a top-four spot, visits the WWK Arena to play against Augsburg in the Bundesliga this Saturday.
Leipzig, after clinching their first victory of 2024 last weekend on their fourth attempt, aims to continue this momentum to challenge Borussia Dortmund for the Champions League qualifying spot.
Match preview
Augsburg had a decent season start but are now facing difficulties after a series of tough matches.
Jess Thorup’s team managed only one point from their last three 2023 games and started this year facing strong teams, which didn’t help their situation.
Their only win during this period was against Borussia Monchengladbach, with their notable performance being a nearly successful defense against Bayer Leverkusen until a late goal defeated them.
Despite a strong showing against Bayern Munich, they lost but managed a draw with Bochum last weekend thanks to Ermedin Demirovic’s late penalty.
The upcoming fixtures seem more favorable for Augsburg, aiming for a mid-table finish, a position they’ve successfully maintained in recent seasons without much panic.
However, facing Leipzig now, who they haven’t beaten in 13 attempts, doesn’t come at the best time due to their current form slump.
Marco Rose’s Leipzig bounced back last weekend with a win over Union Berlin after losing their initial three 2024 matches, dropping out of the top four.
Their win last weekend, highlighted by goals from Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko, helped them close the gap to Dortmund and maintain a lead over Frankfurt.
Augsburg Bundesliga form: D L L W L D
RB Leipzig Bundesliga form: W D L L L W
Team News
Augsburg might have Niklas Dorsch back after his injury. Pep Biel, despite debuting last weekend, is unlikely to play due to lack of training this week.
Dion Beljo and Raphael Framberger are sidelined with injuries, but striker Demirovic, with three goals in his last two games, will be crucial for Augsburg.
Openda leads Leipzig’s scoring chart and will be a key player in this match.
Leipzig has a full team available, including Amadou Haidara and Mohamed Simakan, back from national duty and suspension, respectively. Emil Forsberg has left for New York Red Bulls, ending his long stint with Leipzig.
Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Dahmen;
Mbabu, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Iago;
Jensen, Jakic, Dorsch, Rexhbecaj;
Tietz, Demirovic
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Blaswich;
Henrichs, Klostermann, Orban, Raum;
Seiwald, Schlager;
Dani Olmo, Simons;
Sesko, Openda
Prediction: Augsburg 2-3 RB Leipzig
Leipzig, having scored 13 goals in their last four matches against Augsburg and coming back from a 3-0 deficit in their last visit, could see a similar high-scoring game. With the confidence from last week’s win, Leipzig might secure a narrow victory over an Augsburg team eager to escape their current slump.