German Bundesliga - Augsburg vs. Wolfsburg - Preview & Prediction

Having won just one of their last nine Bundesliga outings, the 14th-placed Augsburg will try to snap a three-game losing streak while hosting Wolfsburg, who are sitting just one point outside the Top 6 of Germany’s top tier. Kick-off - at 9:30 AM ET on Saturday.

Augsburg Struggle

Augsburg has managed to avoid relegation for eight straight years and is currently doing their best to remain in Bundesliga for their 10th consecutive campaign next season. Currently sitting just five points above the drop-zone with a W7 D6 L12 record, Die Fuggerstadter has plenty of work ahead of them during the last nine matchdays of the German top tier. Augsburg did earn a sensational 2-2 last-gasp home draw against the reigning champions Bayern Munich in October and went on a six-game point run just before Christmas (W5 D1). Still, the team has lost its last three games, earning just a single point in its past five outings (D1 L4), going W1 D1 L7 since Dec. 21.

Forward Florian Niederlechner and left-back Philipp Max lead the team with 11 and seven goals respectively. Goalie Tomas Koubek, meanwhile, has made 23 starts this season, ranking 8th in most saves (71), having collected four clean sheets. He allows a goal every 42 minutes on average. Augsburg are 8th in most goals scored during the current campaign (36), 2nd in the least shots registered (280), and are averaging just 40.1% of ball possession per contest.

Wolfsburg Battle On

After finishing last Bundesliga season in the 6th position, eluding a place in the Champions League by mere three points, but still making the Europa League for 2019-20, Wolfsburg is on the course to end another successful campaign. The Wolves are still active in Europe, waiting for the 2nd leg of their Last 16 matchup against Shakhtar Donetsk to be played out sometime soon (they are 2-1 down after the first game in Germany). In Bundesliga, meanwhile, the team sits 7th with a W9 D9 L7 record, chasing the 6th-placed Schalke 04 by a single point. Earning two straight draws in March just before the coronavirus pandemic, Wolfsburg has extended its current point run to six fixtures (W3 D3).

With 11 goals in 24 appearances (22 starts), Wout Weghorst leads the side in goals, while Maximilian Arnold has provided the most assists (5). Goalie Koen Casteels sits 15th in most saves (55), having made a total of 17 league appearances. He has posted four clean sheets in the Bundesliga and concedes a goal every 70 minutes on average. Wolfsburg are 7th in the least goals scored (34) and 7th in most shots delivered (338). The team averages 49.1% of ball possession per outing.

Prediction

Augsburg has been a resilient team enough this season to currently sit five points clear of the relegation zone. And that is partly due to its strong domestic form, which has seen Die Fuggerstadter lose just four of their past 12 home contests (W5 D3 L4). Out of the 12 games played at WWK Arena, 11 have finished with both teams on the scoreboard, as have four of the last six head-to-head matchups between Augsburg and Wolfsburg. There have been three draws in the last five Bundesliga contests of the Wolves, who have also seen half of their previous four matchups with Die Fuggerstadter end on level terms.

Best bets:

Draw (+240)

Correct score: 1-1 (+515)

Both teams to score (-135)