Seventh-placed Borussia Dortmund will look to climb up the Bundesliga table when they take on Augsburg at the WWK Arena on Saturday.
It has been a mixed start to the new season for Borussia Dortmund, and Nuri Sahin will be keen on getting things back on track when they hit the road to square up against FC Augsburg, who have also been very inconsistent so far in the 2024/25 campaign.
The home team are 15th on the points table, with just seven points in as many matches. They have only won two matches while suffering a defeat in four league games. Augsburg are heading into this one on the back of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of SC Freiburg. They were far from their best and will have to put up a much better fight to return to winning ways.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund are seventh in the Bundesliga standings, with 13 points in seven outings. The Black and Yellows have won four, drawn one and lost two so far. While they did win their last league outing against FC St. Pauli, the away team are heading into this one on the back of a humiliating loss.
Borussia Dortmund lost 5-2 to Real Madrid away from home in the UEFA Champions League. They were leading 2-0 at half-time but ended up crumbling in the second half. Expect Nuri Sahin’s men to come out all guns blazing as they surely have a point to prove. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
FC Augsburg
The home team will be without the services of Ruben Vargas, Fredrik Jensen, Daniel Klein and Mads Valentin Pedersen. FC Augsburg will line up in a 3-5-2 formation against Borussia Dortmund, with Nediljko Labrovic in goal. The back three in front of him will be made up of Chrislain Matsima, Maximilian Bauer, and Jeffrey Gouweleeuw.
The three centre-backs will be looking to keep things tight at the back, and they will have the support of Marius Wolf and Dimitris Giannoulis who will feature as the wing-backs.
Frank Onyeka will start alongside Elvis Rexhbecaj and Kristijan Jakic in the centre of the park. The midfielders will look to control the tempo and ensure they do not allow Borussia Dortmund to dominate the ball. As for the attack, Samuel Essende will pair up with Phillip Tietz in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Labrovic; Bauer, Gouweleeuw, Matsima; Wolf, Onyeka, Jakic, Rexhbecaj, Giannoulis; Essende, Tietz
Borussia Dortmund
The visitors will be without the services of Yan Couto, Karim Adeyemi, Julien Duranville, and Giovanni Reyna. Meanwhile, the availability of Niklas Sule is a doubt.
Nuri Sahin will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Gregor Kobel in goal. Julian Ryerson and Ramy Bensebaini will take charge as the full-backs, while Nico Schlotterbeck will pair up with Waldemar Anton in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Emre Can should pair up with Pascal Gross. They will form a double pivot in front of the back line and will try to make life easier for the back four. Donyell Malen and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens should feature on the flanks for Borussia Dortmund, with Julian Brandt taking up the no. 10 role. Leading the attack will be Serhou Guirassy.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Gross; Malen, Brandt, Gittens; Guirassy
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund have won 17 of their last 27 matches against FC Augsburg, who only have three wins to their name.
- The team in black and yellow are unbeaten in their last seven Bundesliga games against FC Augsburg.
- The home team have lost ten of their last 14 league games since April this year. Only VfL Bochum have a worse record in that period.
- Borussia Dortmund have managed four fewer points than they did last at this stage last season.
- The visitors have lost their last three matches on the road.
Player to Watch
Donyell Malen
While Borussia Dortmund ended up suffering at the hands of Real Madrid, they did have an exceptional first half, and Malen was the man who did wonders for them. He was involved in both goals the German giants scored. The Dutch international will now be looking to add to his tally when he takes the field against Augsburg.
Prediction
FC Augsburg 1-3 Borussia Dortmund
Having lost three of their last four league games, FC Augsburg will be hoping they can get back to winning ways against a Borussia Dortmund team that felt the full force of Real Madrid last time out.
While Los Blancos blew away Nuri Sahin’s men, they do have enough quality in their ranks to bounce back. The visitors will go all out to return to winning way, and the home team might not be able to stand in their way. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team.
