Hertha Berlin will aim to enhance their chances of Bundesliga survival when they welcome Augsburg to the Olympiastadion on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts were crushed 4-1 by Borussia Dortmund last time out, while the visitors moved seven points clear of Hertha with a 1-0 victory over Hoffenheim.
Match preview
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Hertha Berlin remain second from bottom in the Bundesliga table following last weekend's thrashing at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, having taken just 17 points from 21 games this season.
With four wins, five draws and 12 losses to their name, Die Alte Dame find themselves four points clear of bottom club Schalke 04, although they still sit two points inside the automatic relegation places.
Not only have Hertha lost five of their last six Bundesliga matches, but they have also lost nine of their previous 12, with a solitary victory coming since the turn of the year.
While many Bundesliga clubs have sacked their manager this season, Hertha have stuck by Sandro Schwarz up to now, although it feels like the 44-year-old is walking on thin ice.
A 4-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach earlier this month certainly helped Schwarz's cause, but there is no doubt that patience is wearing thin at the Olympiastadion.
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When Augsburg ended 2022 on an eight-game winless run, it looked as though Enrico Maassen's men were destined for a relegation dogfight after the World Cup break.
However, the Bavarian outfit have enjoyed a marked upturn in form since the resumption of the Bundesliga, picking up three wins in six matches to steer clear of the drop zone.
Thanks to 1-0 victories over Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim, Augsburg find themselves five points above the dreaded relegation playoff spot and seven points clear of the bottom two.
It is worth noting, however, that Augsburg have struggled on their travels in recent times, taking a solitary point from their previous six away outings.
Having conceded 19 goals across their last seven away league games – suffering five defeats along the way – Maassen's side must improve on the road in order to avoid relegation trouble.
Team News
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Filip Uremovic is a doubt for Saturday's clash after leaving the field with a minor knee injury in Hertha Berlin's defeat to Borussia Dortmund last time out.
On a brighter note, Agustin Rogel is back in action following a spell on the sidelines, and the Uruguayan centre-back could replace Uremovic in the starting XI this weekend.
With the attacking quartet of Wilfried Kanga, Stevan Jovetic, Chidera Ejuke and Kelian Nsona out injured, Jessic Ngankam and Florian Niederlechner are expected to start up front for the hosts.
For the visitors, Niklas Dorsch missed last weekend's victory over Hoffenheim due to illness, having made just four substitute appearances since returning from injury in January.
Augsburg's injury list also features Reece Oxford, Andre Hahn, Tobias Strobl and Irvin Cardona, with the latter joining the club from French side Brest before sustaining an injury on his debut.
Having scored in three of his previous five league outings, Mergim Berisha will continue to lead the line for Augsburg, with Ermedin Demirovic supporting the Fenerbahce loanee in attack.
Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:
Christensen; Rogel, Kempf, Dardai; Cigerci; Richter, Plattenhardt, Serdar, Tousart; Niederlechner, Ngankam
Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Gikiewicz; Gumny, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Veiga; Maier, Engels, Rexhbecaj, Demirovic; Yeboah, Berisha
We say: Hertha Berlin 1-1 Augsburg
Given that Augsburg have lost five of their last six away games, Hertha Berlin look set to avoid defeat this weekend, although the struggling hosts will likely have to settle for a point.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Morris
