Preview: Augsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh from the sacking of head coach Sandro Wagner, Augsburg will be looking for a new manager bounce when they welcome Bayer Leverkusen to the WWK Arena this Saturday.

The Fuggerstadter have lost five of their previous six competitive games, while Die Werkself have enjoyed the exact opposite run of form, winning five of their last six.

Match preview

Considering only one other team in the Bundesliga has endured more league defeats than Augsburg this season, it was not a major surprise to see the club part ways with Wagner.

The club currently boast the joint-worst defensive record in the competition, conceding a massive 27 goals across their 12 league matches.

The Fuggerstadter have suffered five defeats from their last six games across all competitions, including a 3-0 thumping away at Hoffenheim last weekend.

To make matters worse, four of their last five defeats have come to nil, while their sole victory over the last two months has come at home against newly-promoted Hamburger SV.

Former Schalke 04 manager Manuel Baum has been drafted in as the interim manager, with the 46-year-old set to take charge of Augsburg’s remaining three games before the winter break.

The former goalkeeper will be looking to use these matches as an audition for a potential permanent role, though getting a result against Leverkusen will be a lot easier said than done.

Speaking of Die Werkself, the club are enjoying a tremendous run of form across all competitions at the moment.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side have won five of their last six, including a 6-0 thrashing of Heidenheim, a 3-1 win away at Wolfsburg, and a memorable 2-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League.

Last Tuesday night, Leverkusen avenged their recent league defeat to Borussia Dortmund by dumping the German giants out of the DFB-Pokal.

Die Schwarzroten powered to a 1-0 win away at Signal Iduna Park to not only return to winning ways but also make a serious statement of intent.

The club experienced major changes over the summer following the departure of manager Xabi Alonso and a massive overhaul of players. Nevertheless, Leverkusen are emerging as potential title challengers – something they can underline with yet another big victory over Augsburg.

Augsburg Bundesliga form:

D L L L W L

Augsburg form (all competitions):

L L L L W L

Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form:

W W L W W L

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

W W W W L W

Team News

Jeffrey Gouweleeuw is the only major absentee for Augsburg, with the 34-year-old struggling with a recurring knee injury.

Fabian Rieder is the top Bundesliga goalscorer for the hosts, though the 23-year-old only boasts three goals on his record, with his last strike coming over a month ago.

Defender Cedric Zesiger, who does not tend to get many Bundesliga minutes lately, missed his opportunity against Hoffenheim after putting in a poor performance and scoring an own goal.

Bayer Leverkusen, on the other hand, are contending with a long injury list ahead of the weekend.

The Argentine duo of Ezequiel Fernandez and Exequiel Palacios are both out of action with injuries, while Lucas Vazquez is dealing with a muscle problem.

Die Werkself also have a couple of men on the doubtful list, with defender Arthur and midfielder Axel Tape expected to remain on the sidelines.

Augsburg possible starting lineup:

Dahmen; Banks, Matsima, Schlotterbeck; Kade, Fellhauer, Massengo, Giannoulis; Rieder, Komur; Essende

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Andrich, Bade, Tapsoba; Hofmann, Maza, Garcia, Grimaldo; Tillman, Poku; Schick