WE'RE delighted to welcome German Football expert Raphael Honigstein to the site for the new season thanks to our partner Unibet.
You may know Raph from his excellent work on BT Sport where he shares his knowledge of the European game and we're hoping he can make some of that know-how pay for us on MrFixitsTips. Best of luck Raphael!
Leipzig v Augsburg (Fri 7.30pm)
Everton loanee Ademola Lookman proved to be the difference for Leipzig last weekend at Gladbach as he struck an 89th minute winner. Ralph Hasenhüttl had brought him on for his debut with just over ten minutes to play but even in that time, Lookman struggled to get to grips with the pitch at the Borussia Park.
The one pair of boots he’d brought over from England had Hasenhüttl joking after the game that he wanted to take him off again. Hasenhüttl though went on to emphasise just how important a victory it was for Leipzig who moved up to third.
He had goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi to thank for keeping Gladbach out with a series of crucial saves but at home, clean sheets have been hard to come by.
In their 14 games at home in all competitions, Leipzig have only kept their opponents scoreless on two occasions.
Augsburg meanwhile tore through Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, the second best defence in the division. Manuel Baum’s side are undoubtedly the underdogs but they’re only four points off Leipzig coming into the game.
Kicker magazine reckon Baum could switch to a back three this time with Rani Khedira returning from suspension to face his former club. They’ll still be without top scorer Alfred Finnbogason who’s out for another month or so but he didn’t look sorely missed last Sunday.
Expect for there to be chances at both ends in this one with Leipzig having only won one of their last four Bundesliga home games. Ademola Lookman could be in line for a start for Leipzig too, providing his boots are to Hasenhüttl’s taste.
Raphael's Tips
- Leipzig 2, Augsburg 1 (7-1, Unibet)
- Keita to score first (6-1, Unibet)
- Both teams to score (71-100, Unibet)
Munich-born Raphael Honigstein writes about football for Germany’s biggest broadsheet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Guardian, ESPNFC and his tips appear here thanks to our football partner at MrFixitsTips, Unibet. They're making a big splash in the UK betting scene and if you join them today you can claim up to £30 in Welcome Bonuses when you deposit and place your first bet.
Munich-born Raphael Honigstein writes about football for Germany’s biggest broadsheet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Guardian, ESPNFC and others. He’s a regular pundit on BT Sport’s European Football Show and the author of “Englischer Fussball: A German View of Our Beautiful Game”. His favourite food is Schnitzel, predictably.
