Augsburg vs Borussia Mönchengladbach – News and Probable Lineups

In their quest for a top-half finish in their final Bundesliga home fixture of the season, a determined Augsburg will host Borussia Monchengladbach at WWK Arena this Saturday.

Die Fuggerstadter aim to extend their unbeaten run to six matches, while Die Fohlen are seeking their first away victory of 2026.

Match overview

Since Manuel Baum took over from Sandro Wagner as Augsburg’s head coach in December, the team had only amassed 10 points from their first 12 matches, placing them in danger of relegation this season.

Nevertheless, the interim coach initiated an impressive turnaround, leading to Augsburg becoming the first side to defeat Bayern Munich this season with a 2-1 victory on January 24, marking the beginning of a run of five wins from six outings.

Following that successful spell, the team faced three consecutive defeats, starting with a 2-1 loss against RB Leipzig on March 7. However, they have recovered well before the upcoming match and enter this game with a five-match unbeaten streak.

This remarkable turnaround has prompted supporters to call for Baum, who previously served as Augsburg’s head of development and football innovation, to be appointed permanently, with players like Anton Kade publicly expressing their desire for him to remain.

With just two games left in the season, Die Fuggerstadter have confirmed their safety and currently sit ninth in the league, holding 40 points after defeating Werder Bremen 3-1 last Saturday.

With hopes of concluding the 2025-26 season positively, the home team is looking to claim all three points in their final match at WWK Arena, but given Baum’s side is winless at home in three games, they must overcome their recent form on familiar turf to achieve that.

On the other hand, Eugen Polanski’s Gladbach have also secured their top-flight status for the next year, but they will be aiming for a higher finish as they look to return to European competitions in subsequent seasons.

Last Sunday, Die Fohlen achieved a commendable 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, thanks to an 88th-minute goal from Haris Tabakovic.

This win has positioned Polanski’s squad in 11th place in the table, where their total of 35 points leaves them nine points above 16th-placed Wolfsburg and 17th-placed St Pauli, thus ensuring they cannot be caught by any of the bottom three with two games remaining.

Approaching this weekend’s match with confidence, Gladbach have lost only one of their last seven encounters (1-0 against Leipzig on April 11), although they have only managed two victories in that timeframe, most recently defeating BVB and previously winning against Kiezkicker 2-0 on March 13.

To complicate matters, the visitors have yet to secure any away wins in 2026, suffering five losses and four draws in their nine away games this year, including a frustrating 0-0 draw against Wolfsburg on April 25.

Team News

Augsburg will miss left-back Mads Valentin Pedersen as he continues his recovery from a knee injury, so expect to see the hosts’ defensive line of Chrislain Matsima, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, and Cedric Zesiger, supported by wing-backs Robin Fellhauer and Dimitrios Giannoulis.

For Gladbach, they have two players from a possible back five suspended this weekend, as center-back Nico Elvedi received his fifth yellow card of the season against Dortmund, sidelining him alongside left wing-back Jens Castrop, who was sent off against Wolfsburg on April 25.

To fill these positions, Polanski may opt for a trio of Philipp Sander, Kevin Diks, and Fabio Chiarodia to shield goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas, with versatile players Franck Honorat and Joseph Scally taking the wing-back roles.

At the other end of the field, right-winger Nathan N’Goumou (Achilles) and striker Tim Kleindienst (knee) – both long-term absentees – are nearing returns, but this fixture is likely to come too soon for them. Haris Tabakovic is expected to lead the line, while Rocco Reitz and Wael Mohya will likely provide width.

Augsburg probable starting XI:

Damen; Matsima, Gouweleuw, Zesiger; Fellhauer, Massengo, Rieder, Giannoulis; Kade, Claude-Maurice; Gregoritsch

Borussia Monchengladbach probable starting XI:

Nicholas; Honorat, Sander, Dix, Chiarodia, Scally; Reitz, Engelhardt, Stoger, Mohya; Tobacco

Augsburg have proven to be a challenging side to overcome in recent weeks and will be eager to deliver an impressive performance in their final home games of the season.

However, the hosts have struggled to secure victories, while Gladbach has shown similar resilience and may pose a challenge for Die Fuggerstadter on Saturday.