Preview: Werder Bremen vs Augsburg - prediction, team news, lineups

Werder Bremen will be looking to take a huge step towards Bundesliga safety when they welcome Augsburg to the Weserstadion this Saturday afternoon.

The hosts have experienced a timely upswing in form over recent weeks as they continue to push for top-tier survival, while Die Fuggerstadter are hoping to boost their European ambitions amid a four-match unbeaten run.

Match preview

When Daniel Thioune took over the managerial hot seat from Horst Steffen last February, Werder Bremen were on a one-way road to relegation after slumping to the relegation playoff spot.

Confidence sank even further when the 51-year-old kicked off his latest foray into coaching with a three-match losing run - including a 2-1 defeat against relegation rivals. St Pauli.

Since then, Bremen have made a remarkable turnaround, picking up four wins from eight games and moving six points clear of the bottom three.

The River Islanders could mathematically secure their Bundesliga status with a win this Saturday afternoon, though a lot also depends on other results in the competition.

One of the reasons for the club’s seemingly miraculous turnaround has been a clear improvement in individual performances from certain members of the squad.

Olivier Deman, for instance, was on the brink of leaving the club in the winter window following a dreadful start to the season, only to become one of the key members of the squad under Thioune.

Similar things can be said about Jens Stage, who has delivered excellent individual performances in recent weeks - particularly against Union Berlin, Hamburger SV and Stuttgart.

Augsburg have followed a similar journey to Bremen this season, though unlike their upcoming opponents, Die Fuggerstadter could still end the campaign with European qualification.

Former German international Sandro Wagner started the season in the dugout, but he only lasted 12 games after seeing the club plummet down the standings.

Manuel Baum picked up the pieces in December, and the club has since flourished under the stewardship of the former teacher.

As things stand, Augsburg find themselves ninth in the standings, and they could yet challenge seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt for that all-important Europa Conference League qualifying spot.

There are just six points separating both teams with three matchdays remaining, and Augsburg will take confidence from the fact they are unbeaten in four games.

Baum’s men have picked up five points from their last three outings, but what makes that run even more impressive is the fact all three opponents were top-seven teams.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Baum revealed that his players are still “hungry for more”, which indicates Augsburg are not quite ready to settle for a mid-table finish.

Werder Bremen Bundesliga form:

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Augsburg Bundesliga form:

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Team News

Werder Bremen have got a number of injury worries ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Augsburg.

Head coach Thioune will be without defender Felix Agu, who has missed the last two matches with a muscle problem.

Forward Keke Topp has been on the sidelines since mid-March with a knee injury, and the 22-year-old is not expected to make a return this weekend.

Julian Malatini (ankle) and Karl Hein (hand) are two other absentees, while the experienced Leonardo Bittencourt (thigh) is a doubt.

Augsburg, on the other hand, are almost fully fit ahead of their trip to the north of Germany.

Mads Pedersen is the only doubt ahead of the match, with the player nursing a minor knee issue.

In terms of attack, Fabian Rieder is the man to watch considering he scored a brace in Augsburg’s last away outing.

Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:

Backhaus; Sugawara, Pieper, Friedl, Deman; Stage, Lynen, Puertas; Grull, Milosevic, Schmid

Augsburg possible starting lineup:

Dahmen; Chaves, Gouweleeuw, Zesiger; Fellhauer, Massengo, Rieder, Giannoulis; Kade, Claude-Maurice; Gregoritsch

We say: Werder Bremen 2-2 Augsburg

Looking at the table, you might see two mid-table teams with little to play for. However, that could not be further from the truth.

There are serious motivations for both teams ahead of Saturday’s encounter, and considering they are both in good form, we are backing a high-scoring draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.