Preview: RB Leipzig vs. Augsburg - prediction, team news, lineups

RB Leizpig host Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Friday, with Julian Nagelsmann's side able to move five points within league leaders Bayern Munich with a victory.

Augsburg, meanwhile, have lost five of their last six games to plummet down the table.

Match preview

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Leipzig's title hopes were left in tatters after a 3-2 defeat at relegation strugglers Mainz 05 a few weeks ago, but Nagelsmann's side have since bounced back with three wins to progress in the DFB-Pokal and keep a small amount of pressure on Bayern while the European champions compete for the World Club Cup in Qatar this week.

Marcel Sabitzer's drilled strike was sandwiched by two headed goals from set pieces by defenders Nordi Mukiele and Willi Orban in Saturday's 3-0 win at Schalke 04, leaving their opponents marooned to the bottom of the table.

With Leipzig boasting the strongest defensive record and Schalke possessing the worst offensive record in the Bundesliga, it was always likely to be a one-sided encounter and that was exactly how it unfolded.

Mark Uth should have opened the scoring with the hosts' only shot on target across the entire 90 minutes, but Leipzig dominated thereafter, testing Ralf Fahrmann on 10 separate occasions. Nagelsmann will be hoping for a similar performance against an Augsburg side who have desperately struggled for creativity in recent weeks.

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Indeed, Augsburg failed to record more than one shot on target for the fourth time in their last five matches during the 2-0 home defeat to Wolfsburg on Saturday, having taken only three points from a possible 18.

Given Wolfsburg's impressive form of late, gaining a positive result was always likely to represent a difficult task for Heiko Herrlich's side.

The Wolves always held their opponents at arms length while packing a powerful bite in the form of Wout Weghorst, who opened the scoring prior to half time with his fifth goal in six games.

Weghorst turned provider moments before the hour mark, with Ridle Baku all but sealing the three points with a simple finish at the back post. Herrlich will be scratching his head as to how his team can penetrate the Bundesliga's best defence in Leipzig on Friday, with more short-term pain perhaps set to come before any long-term gain.

RB Leipzig Bundesliga form: LDWLWW RB Leipzig form (all competitions): DWLWWW

Augsburg Bundesliga form: LLLWLL

Team News

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Leipzig may be without Justin Kluivert, with the forward's ankle injury ruling him out of the trip to Schalke last weekend.

Nagelsmann will also be unable to call upon the services of Emil Forsberg, Dominik Szoboszlai or Konrad Laimer due to injury.

The 33-year-old may look to rest a few key players ahead of Tuesday's important Champions League knockout clash against Liverpool.

Augsburg, meanwhile, will travel to Leipzig without Alfred Finnbogason and Raphael Framberger due to muscle issues.

Iago also has a slight knock, so Mads Pedersen is likely to continue at left-back.

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup: Gulasci; Orban, Upamecano, Halstenberg; Adams, Haidara, Kampl, Angelino; Samardzic, Olmo; Poulsen

Augsburg possible starting lineup: Gikiewicz; Gumny, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Pedersen; Strobl, Gruezo; Caligiuri, Richter, Hahn; Niederlechner

We say: RB Leipzig 2-0 Augsburg

We can envisage a comfortable Leipzig victory, with their defence and ball retention likely to prove too strong for Augsburg given the visitors' current crisis of confidence.

If Nagelsmann does heavily rotate ahead of the match against Liverpool, though, victory could be harder to come by than perhaps anticipated.