Augsburg’s quest to escape the relegation zone may hit a dead end, as top performers RB Leipzig arrive at the WWK Arena with clear intentions to extend their unbeaten run.
After a convincing start to the season, Augsburg went through four defeats in a row in the Bundesliga, and the only positive was that each fixture was actually close. But Fuggerstadter needed defensive improvements and it finally appears that Sandro Wagner has found some solutions, as Augsburg beat Wolfsburg at home and stole a point away at Koln.
Nevertheless, Fuggerstadter have conceded goals in 11 consecutive Bundesliga fixtures, which is not an ideal stat when you have to face the most in form team in the league that’s not called Bayern Munich. RB Leipzig are unbeaten in the last six games, out of which they won five. The closest they came to an upset was the 1-1 with Dortmund and they fully deserved to win that one too.
How the bookies view it: The bulls to see red
Despite Augsburg’s resurgence, bookies lean towards the Red Bulls and give them a significant betting advantage as visitors. You can currently back Augsburg at 12/5, the draw at 3/1, or RB Leipzig at 19/20.
Recent head-to-head: RB are unbeaten in 15
Statistically, RB Leipzig have been Augsburg’s toughest opponent to beat in the last few years. This rivalry has been all about the Red Bulls almost from its start and RB are unbeaten in the last 15 Bundesliga H2Hs, out of which they won nine. Augsburg’s last win over this rival dates back to September 2017, so visiting fans have much to worry about.
Players to watch: Cardoso is adapting well
Romulo Cardoso continues to improve under Ole Werner, although his season so far cannot be compared to his previous campaign with Gotzepe in Turkey. But the Bundesliga is on a whole another level and he already has two goals and three assists since his arrival.
Overall, while RB Leipzig are 2nd in the league, they are the lowest-scoring side in the upper half of the table. So there aren’t many options for goalscorers and Cardoso is a valid pick with Betano’s offer for him to score or assist at 13/20.
Probable line-ups
Augsburg: Dahmen, Jakic, Matsima, Banks, GIannoulis, Massengo, Fellhauer, Kade, Rieder, Claude-Maurice, Komur
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum, Baumgartner, Seiwald, Ouedraogo, Bakayoko, Romulo, Nusa
Anything else catch the eye?
Although Augsburg lost the majority of their Bundesliga games to date, it was never without a fight, and they’ve actually scored more goals than RB. More importantly, all seven of their fixtures featured goals from both sides, and 6/7 saw at least three goals scored.
Four of the last five H2Hs also featured at least three goals, although the last one was a 0-0 stalemate. We definitely expect some action in this match and RB will not have it easy at all. We won’t risk betting on the Red Bulls, but we will back both goal markets. Or you can even go for the slightly higher odds for RB to score Over 1.5 goals.
GambleAware