FANEWS.ID – Prediction for Augsburg vs Union Berlin in the German Bundesliga, Augsburg and Union Berlin will try to return to winning ways in the Bundesliga when they compete at the WWK Arena on Friday night.
Both teams were forced to settle for a point the last time they faced each other five months ago when they drew 1-1 at the An der Alten Forsterei Stadium.
After winning four games in a row between 25 February and 16 March, scoring 12 goals in the process, Augsburg failed to win its last two Bundesliga games against FC Koln and Hoffenheim.
Die Fuggerstadter were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Koln before losing 3-1 at Hoffenheim last weekend in a match where captain Ermedin Demirovic scored his 15th goal of the season.
Augsburg have collected 36 points and are two more than they earned all of last season with six games remaining in the season. However, their hopes of sneaking into European positions are under threat as they are six points adrift of Eintracht Frankfurt in sixth place.
However, a seventh-place finish would be enough for Augsburg to qualify for the Europa Conference League if Bundesliga champions-elect Bayer Leverkusen, who have already secured a top-six spot, win the DFB-Pokal.
Jess Thorup’s men will fancy their chances of picking up maximum points on Friday as they have won each of their last three home meetings with Union Berlin, while they have only suffered defeat in two of their last 10 Bundesliga games at WWK Arena – defeats against Leverkusen (1-0) and Bayern Munich (3-2).
After finishing fourth last season and qualifying for the Champions League, Union Berlin remain in danger of slipping into the relegation zone this season and suffered their 15th Bundesliga defeat of the season to Leverkusen last weekend.
Robin Gosens received his first red card in the Bundesliga for two bookable offenses on the stroke of half-time, shortly before Florian Wirtz scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after Christopher Trimmel was adjudged to have committed handball in the box.
Nenad Bjelica’s men have lost three of their last five league games, albeit against three of the current top five, and they remain 13th in the table, six points ahead of 16th-placed Mainz 05 in the playoff positions degradation.
Union Berlin have struggled throughout this season as they have only won two, drawn three and lost nine of their 14 Bundesliga away games; only VfL Bochum have lost as many away games this season, while the Irons Ones have scored the fewest away goals (nine) in the division so far.
Bjelica’s men have picked up five points from their last four away games, including three points from a 1-0 win at Hoffenheim and one point collected from a goalless draw with Frankfurt, so there is reason for the Irons Ones to be optimistic about success on Friday .
Augsburg will be without Niklas Dorsch (foot), Raphael Framberger, Robert Gumny (both knees), Elvis Rexhbecaj (ankle) and Reece Oxford (illness), while Iago (foot), Fredrik Jensen (calf) and Kristijan Jakic (Achilles) will appear. all injury doubts, the latter was forced off early in the first half last weekend.
Jakic’s potential absence could see Tim Breithaupt recalled to start in midfield alongside Arne Engels and Arne Maier, while Mads Pedersen is expected to continue at left-back if Iago is deemed unfit to feature.
Kevin Mbabu was not 100% fit to play against Hoffenheim last time out, but he is expected to return at right-back on Friday, which will allow Ruben Vargas to continue forward and provide support in attack for Demirovic and Phillip Tietz.
Meanwhile for Union Berlin, Jerome Roussillon and Jakob Busk remain sidelined with calf injuries, while Janik Haberer and Yorbe Vertessen will undergo checks for muscle problems ahead of kickoff.
Both Gosens and Lucas Tousart are sidelined through suspension, the latter picking up his fifth yellow card last weekend, so Josip Juranovic and Aissa Laidouni could be tasked with playing left wing-back and central midfield.
Having missed the visit of his former club Leverkusen last time out, Kevin Volland will return to the starting XI to partner Benedict Hollerbach or Brenden Aaronson in attack.
There hasn’t been a huge difference between these two teams in recent years, but Augsburg have the edge and will be considered the favorites for Friday’s clash at home.
Having failed to score in four of their last five games, Union Berlin will be hoping to break through an Augsburg back line that has only kept two clean sheets all season, but that may not be enough to beat the hosts this time. (sportsmole/ed)
Augsburg vs Union Berlin player predictions
Augsburg: Dahmen; Mbabu, Gouweleuw, Uduokhai, Pedersen; Engels, Breithaupt, Maier; Vargas; Tietz, Demirovic
Union Berlin: Ronnow; Doekhi, vogt, people; Khedira; Trimmel, Laidouni, Schafer, Juranovic; Volland, Aaronson
Augsburg vs Union Berlin Score Prediction: 2-1