Our next opponents: Happy travellers Augsburg enjoying best campaign

Position

Augsburg’s season as a whole, but in particular their second half of the campaign, has been impressive. The Bavarians have lost just one of their last 14 games, which came at home against Bayern Munich (3-1). Apart from that, they boast seven wins and six draws since 15 January. Augsburg come into Matchday 31 in 10th place with 43 points, which is the most they’ve ever had at this stage of a Bundesliga season. And there’s still all to play for in the race for Europe over the final four games, with Mainz in sixth only four points away.

Things looked very different at the start of 2025, the team sitting in 13th place after 16 games with just a three-point cushion over the bottom three. But Thorup’s side then hit their stride, especially on the road, where they are yet to lose this calendar year, even claiming wins at Union Berlin, Werder Bremen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and Bochum.

Last weekend Augsburg claimed a point from a goalless draw at home to third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. “It could’ve gone either way in the end. Even a 3-3 draw could’ve been possible,” said Thorup after the entertaining 0-0. The home side were much the better team in the first half but failed to take their chances. “But we’re not happy with our performance in the second half,” added goalkeeper Finn Dahmen. “We squandered too many chances because we lost the ball too easily. We’ll take the point and now go to Leverkusen, where anything’s possible given our form,” he concluded. Confidence is high at Augsburg after their displays in recent weeks and months.

Personnel

Thorup has a very set team that he relies upon, having very little need to change things up of late. The Dane also has an almost fully fit squad, with only Reece Oxford (long covid), Arne Maier (suspended) and Yusuf Kabadayi (knee) out for the trip to Leverkusen.

It means that Chrislain Matsima, captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Cedric Zesiger will probably form the back three in front of goalkeeper Dahmen. Marius Wolf and Dimitris Giannoulis are the wing-backs, with Kristian Jakic and Frank Onyeka sitting in central midfield. Elvis Rexhbecaj is also an option there. Top scorers Alexis Claude-Maurice (nine goals) and Samuel Essende (seven) have been preferred up top of late, although Phillip Tietz (six) has also had his opportunities. Mert Kömür got just his second start of the season against Frankfurt. The 19-year-old youth product had scored the winner in the 2-1 victory at Bochum and also impressed against Eintracht. He could start again at the BayArena, keeping Fredrik Jensen out of the side.

Mergim Berisha re-joined the club on loan from Hoffenheim in January but suffered a thigh injury in training. The striker has slowly worked his way back into the fold and came off the bench against both Bayern and Frankfurt.

Problems

Extra options in attack might be needed as well, given the fact Augsburg have the fifth-lowest goals tally in the Bundesliga with only 33 scored. They have drawn blanks in a third of their 30 matches this season, with an unsatisfactory shot accuracy of 41 percent and conversion rate of 13 percent. Set pieces have also failed to yield much this term, scoring only nine times from dead balls for the third-lowest total in the division. At the other end, Augsburg have been caught out 11 times from headers, which ranks second worst across the league.

Performers

Safety first has been Augsburg’s mantra this season. They’ve conceded only 40 times, which is the six-best defence in the division. The Bavarians have also remained unbeaten in all eight of their away fixtures in 2025, conceding just three times across their five wins and three draws. A return of 18 points and a goal difference of +9 places them top of the Bundesliga’s away table for this calendar year – the Werkself also have 18 points but are one goal worse off. Goalkeeper Dahmen kept six straight clean sheets from 8 February to 15 March, with the goalless draw against Frankfurt the team’s 11th shutout of the campaign – only RB Leipzig and Bayern (both 13) have more in 2024/25. The 3-1 loss to Bayern also ended their 11-game unbeaten run – a streak described by Thorup as “extraordinary for a club like Augsburg”.

His team’s defensive solidity has been very impressive. Augsburg work as a team, keeping compact and taking no prisoners in their challenges, as proven by their league-topping 72 yellow cards and also their four dismissals.