Preview: Union Berlin vs Augsburg - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh from picking up her first victory, Union Berlin head coach Marie-Louise Eta will now be looking to cap off her short run in the Bundesliga with a win over Augsburg in the final game of the season.

Die Eisernen are setting sights on their first set of back-to-back victories since December, while the visitors are still hopeful of securing a spot in the Europa Conference League.

Match preview

Union Berlin made global headlines last month after becoming the first-ever club in Europe’s top five leagues to appoint a female coach.

Eta was given the gig on an interim basis, and she has since picked up four points from four games - a run which secured Union’s Bundesliga status for next season.

The head coach made history last weekend by picking up her first win in the post, and it came in dramatic circumstances as Oliver Burke and Josip Juranovic scored a quick double in the final minutes of their match with Mainz to seal the 3-1 win.

Eta is now looking forward to her final game in the job before officially moving back to women’s football and taking over the female section at Union Berlin.

While Die Eisernen are hoping to end the season on a high, their head-to-head record suggests the Berlin outfit are in for a tough afternoon.

Union have only managed one win against Augsburg in 11 previous meetings, and they have only rattled the net three times in six recent clashes.

Augsburg have no shortage of motivation for the final game of the season, given they are well in the hunt for Europa Conference League football.

There are three teams in the hunt, including seventh-placed Freiburg, eighth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and, of course, Augsburg.

There is just one point separating all three clubs, though Die Fuggerstadter will take confidence from the fact that both their rivals are taking on top-four opposition on Saturday.

Augsburg need a victory at the weekend to stand any chance of qualifying for European football, and they will be buoyed by their impressive run of form.

Manuel Baum’s men have won three of their last four games and are also unbeaten in the Bundesliga since March.

Augsburg have also stepped up in the goalscoring department, rattling the net six times across their last two outings.

The club has only ever competed in Europe once, reaching the round-of-32 in the Europa League back in 2015-16. Returning to the continent would mark a major achievement for a club that endured a slow start to the season.

Union Berlin Bundesliga form:

D L L L D W

Augsburg Bundesliga form:

D D W D W W

Team News

Union Berlin head into the weekend without Derrick Kohn, who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season and will now serve a suspension.

Goalkeeping problems continue to plague Die Eisernen, with Metheo Raab and Frederik Ronnow expected to remain on the sidelines due to hand and muscle issues.

This is good news for 32-year-old Carl Klaus, who will earn his fourth straight appearance this season.

Elsewhere, Janik Haberer has missed his last two games with a knock, and he remains a doubt for the weekend.

Augsburg, on the other hand, will miss midfielder Kristijan Jakic, who serves a one-match suspension due to his accumulation of yellow cards.

Defender Dimitrios Giannoulis has picked up a thigh problem in the opening 15 minutes of last weekend’s game with Borussia Monchengladbach, and he will be sidelined on Saturday.

There are also doubts over Arthur Chaves, who has been struggling with his knee for the last couple of weeks.

Union Berlin possible starting lineup:

Klaus; Trimmel, Leite, Doekhi, Rothe; Khedira, Kemlein; Burke, Ansah, Burcu; Ilic

Augsburg possible starting lineup:

Dahmen; Matsima, Gouweleeuw, Zesiger; Wolf, Massengo, Rieder, Fellhauer; Kade, Komur; Gregoritsch

We say: Union Berlin 1-2 Augsburg

Union Berlin have seen their performances gradually improve under their interim head coach, but getting a result over Augsburg may prove a stretch too far.

Die Fuggerstadter are not only in good form, but they are also chasing serious European ambitions. With that in mind, we are backing the visitors to bag all three points.

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