Preview: Elversberg vs Augsburg - prediction, team news, lineups

Elversberg will hope to avoid being drawn back towards the Bundesliga's relegation battle by getting the better of visitors Augsburg on Saturday at Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde.

The newly-promoted hosts can be proud of the fact they are ninth with seven points, though a win against sixth-placed Augsburg, who have eight points, would help arrest their winless streak and ease any early nerves at the club.

Match preview

It would be foolish to make any judgements after just five matchweeks in the Bundesliga, though Elversberg deserve immense praise for the fact they are three points in front of the bottom three.

However, the hosts have failed to win any of their three most recent league games, taking just one point in that time.

Boss Vincent Wagner will be quick to highlight that that point came away from home against a potential relegation rival in Schalke 04, while one of their defeats was a narrow 2-1 loss against Bayern Munich on September 13.

Their latest result was 1-0 defeat against Union Berlin on October 10, and they can have no complaints considering their opponents prevented them from creating any meaningful opportunities.

Elversberg have won one of their two home contests this season, beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 in matchweek one, with their other outing at Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde coming against Bayern Munich.

© Iconsport / Oliver Kaelke/DeFodi Images

Augsburg are also without victory in their past three games, though they managed to pick up two points in that time.

The visitors were undoubtedly the most impressive team in the division last weekend, holding champions Bayern to a 2-2 stalemate.

Fuggerstadter's record against Elversberg is positive considering they are unbeaten in six meetings with their hosts, emerging as victors three times, but they have not encountered them since 2015.

Head coach Manuel Baum has overseen two triumphs in his side's three away fixtures this campaign, though they did lose 3-2 against Werder Bremen on September 19.

The visitors have in fact won three of their last five away contests in the Bundesliga, and they found the back of the net 11 times in that stretch.

Elversberg Bundesliga form:

Elversberg form (all competitions):

Augsburg Bundesliga form:

Augsburg form (all competitions):

Team News

© Iconsport / dpa, dpa picture alliance archive / Alamy

Elversberg midfielder Francis Onyeka will play no part due to a foot injury, while defender Luis Seifert is sidelined due to an ankle problem.

Felix Keidel and Lukasz Poreba are set to start in the middle of the pitch, while Lukas Pinckert and Maximilian Rohr are both certain to earn sixth starts in the Bundesliga this season.

Striker David Mokwa may return to the XI on the weekend, supported by attacking midfielder Noah Darvich.

The visitors could look to field a three-man defence of Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, Chrislain Matsima and Calvin Brackelmann considering Noahkai Banks and Juma Bah are injured.

With forward Alexis Claude-Maurice dealing with a muscle issue, Augsburg are likely to field a frontline featuring Robin Fellhauer, Arijon Ibrahimovic and Michael Gregoritsch.

Elversberg possible starting lineup:

Kristof; Gyamerah, Pinckert, Rohr, Gunther; Keidel, Poreba; Petkov, Darvich, Krattenmacher; Mowka

Augsburg possible starting lineup:

Dahmen; Gouweleeuw, Matsima, Brackelmann; Wolf, Massengo, Rieder, Behrens; Fellhauer, Ibrahimovic; Gregoritsch

We say: Elversberg 2-2 Augsburg

Neither team have been particularly strong of late, though Augsburg have shown they can compete with the best so far this season.

Elversberg have also proven they can be competitive, and perhaps with the home crowd cheering them on they can earn a point on Saturday.

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