Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will look to keep their unbeaten run intact as they gear up for their final league fixture of the season against FC Augsburg.
Xabi Alonso’s team have the opportunity to create history by remaining unbeaten in the 2023/24 Bundesliga season. Bayer Leverkusen have already clinched the title, and they just need to avoid defeat against FC Augsburg at home on Saturday.
Leverkusen have won 27 of their 33 outings and have accumulated 87 points without suffering a defeat. They have been the most dominant German team throughout the campaign and will now look to end the season in the best possible way.
While their focus will be on securing two more titles, Xabi Alonso is still expected to push for the win to keep his team’s record intact. They are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive wins and will look to put up another dominant performance.
On the other hand, FC Augsburg are currently 10th on the points table with 39 points out of their 33 outings. They are level on points with ninth-placed Heidenheim, and a win over Leverkusen could see them overtake them. But it won’t be easy by any means.
The visitors are going through a rough patch, as they have lost each of their last four games in the league and are heading into this one on the back of a disappointing 1-0 loss at the hands of VfB Stuttgart. They were the second-best team on the day and deserved to lose. Augsburg will have to do a lot better if they want to come out with something from this outing. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Bayer Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz has missed the last few fixtures because of a thigh injury, but he is expected to be back in the squad for this one. Odilon Kossounou picked up a blow in their last fixture and might be rested.
Bayer Leverkusen will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against FC Augsburg, with Lukas Hradecky taking charge in goal. The back three will be made up of Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie. The trio will look for another clean sheet and they will have the support of Josip Stanisic and Alejandro Grimaldo, who should be the wing-backs for this fixture.
Exequiel Palacios and Granit Xhaka will pair up in the centre of the park. They will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball. Jonas Hofmann and Amine Adli will start as the attacking midfielders, while Patrik Schick will continue to lead the line.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Stanisic, Xhaka, Palacios, Grimaldo; Hofmann, Adli; Schick
FC Augsburg
Kevin Mbabu is suspended for this fixture, while his fellow right-backs Robert Gumny and Raphael Framberger are both injured which means the visitors do have a lot to think about. Apart from the trio, Finn Dahmen, Fredrik Jensen, Elvis Rexhbecaj, and Reece Oxford are all unavailable. Meanwhile, Ruben Vargas is a doubt with a groin issue.
The visitors will line up in a 4-3-1-2 formation, where Tomas Koubek will get another opportunity in goal. Iago and Mads Pedersen will feature as the full-backs, while Jeffrey Gouweleeuw will pair up, with Felix Uduokhai in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Kristijan Jakic will pair up with Tim Breithaupt and Arne Engels. The midfield trio will look to ensure Bayer Leverkusen midfielder do not end up dominating the proceedings. Arne Maier will feature as the attacking midfielder behind the attacking duo of Phillip Tietz and Ermedin Demirovic.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Koubek; Iago, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Pedersen; Engels, Jakic, Breithaupt; Maier; Tietz, Demirovic
Key Stats
- Augsburg won both the home and away fixture against Bayer Leverkusen last season.
- Xabi Alonso’s team won the reverse fixture 1-0.
- Augsburg have lost each of their last four league outings another defeat here could see them lose five league games in a row for the first time in their history.
- Bayer Leverkusen have been unbeaten throughout the 2023/24 season, they have gone 51 games without a defeat across competitions.
- Bayer Leverkusen have won their last two outings heading into this fixture.
Player to Watch
Patrik Schick
Schick might not be a regular starter under Xabi Alonso, but the 28-year-old has been a very important part of his team’s success. The former AS Roma striker has been involved in 30 matches during the ongoing season.
While he has been on the pitch for less than 1,500 minutes of first-team football, Schick has 13 goals and three assists to his name, and he will be eager to add to it when he takes the field in their last league outing.
Prediction
Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 FC Augsburg
Augsburg have lost four games in a row. The visitors have not been performing at the expected levels, and they will square up against the best team in the division on the final day of the season.
Bayer Leverkusen have not been beaten by any team during the ongoing season, and that record is expected to stay intact. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
