Augsburg vs Freiburg – News and Probable Lineups

WWK Arena will serve as the setting for an important Bundesliga clash in the quest for European qualification as Freiburg takes on Augsburg this Saturday.

Die Fuggerstadter aim to capitalize on their recent DFB-Pokal victory, while Die Breisgau-Brasilianer hope to steer clear of a third consecutive league loss.

Match overview

Manuel Baum’s Augsburg commenced their season on a high note, similar to their strong finish to the 2025-26 season, but it would be accurate to state that their performance has dipped in the last few weeks.

Die Fuggerstadter began with back-to-back wins, triumphing 3-0 against Schalke 04 in their first match on August 30 followed by a commanding 4-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt the next week.

However, since then, Baum’s team has not managed to secure a victory in their last five Bundesliga matches, resulting in two losses and three draws, including a 1-1 draw with Union Berlin last Saturday.

This disappointing run has left Augsburg in ninth place in the table with only nine points and makes this encounter potentially critical for their campaign, given that they are also three points behind fifth-placed RB Leipzig and three points above the relegation zone.

In search of a rare league win this weekend, the home supporters can derive some optimism from Augsburg’s unbeaten record at WWK Arena in the 2026-27 season, alongside their recent 4-2 cup victory over Sonnenhof Grossaspach on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Julian Schuster’s Freiburg also had an explosive start to their season, even topping the league for a spell after five matchdays, but they risk falling out of the European spots this weekend.

Currently sitting third with 13 points, Die Breisgau-Brasilianer are four points behind leaders Bayern Munich and two points short of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, with only three points separating them from seventh-placed Mainz 05 and eighth-placed Elversberg.

Schuster’s squad launched their campaign with an impressive nine-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, achieving eight wins before it ended with a 2-1 setback against Bayer Leverkusen on October 18.

That defeat appeared to affect Freiburg, who then went on to suffer three consecutive losses before narrowly defeating second-tier Wolfsburg 3-2 in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday, a match in which Keisuke Goto’s brace turned the tide.

To be fair to Die Breisgau-Brasilianer, their brief losing streak came against tough opponents: Leverkusen, Mônaco, and Bayern; however, it remains uncertain whether they can regain their winning form in the Bundesliga, having last earned three league points away in a 1-0 victory against SC Paderborn on September 5.

Team News

Augsburg will miss the services of centre-backs Abdulai Juma Bah, who is serving a suspension due to his red card incurred against Union, Noahkai Banks, who is sidelined with a knee injury, and Calvin Brackelmann, who has a head injury resulting from a collision with Felix Uduokhai during the Union match.

In their absence, Yannik Keitel, Chrislain Matsima, and Jeffrey Gouweleeuw are likely to form Baum’s back three, with Marius Wolf and Hennes Behrens expected to play as wing-backs.

Further up the pitch, striker Steve Mounie remains unavailable due to injury, hence Michael Gregoritsch could lead the line, supported by Anton Kade and Arijon Ibrahimovic.

As for Freiburg, they have concerns regarding several full-backs, as left-back Jordy Makengo is a doubt with a muscle issue, right-back Philipp Treu is recuperating from an ankle injury, and Berkay Yilmaz is recovering from a dental procedure.

Makengo is anticipated to be fit in time for Saturday’s fixture, potentially starting alongside Lukas Kubler on the right side of the visiting defense.

Additionally, winger Derry Scherhant missed midweek action following a foot injury sustained against Bayern but could return to the starting XI, with Vincenzo Grifo poised to step in if necessary.

Augsburg probable starting XI:

Dahmen; Keitel, Matsima, Gouweleeuw; Wolf, Reider, Massengo, Behrens; Kade, Ibrahimovic; Gregoritsch

Freiburg probable starting XI:

bakery; Kubler, Lienhart, Ginter, Makengo; Engelhardt, Eggestein; Best, Suzuki, Scherhant; Matanovic

Augsburg has found it difficult to secure wins this season, yet they have demonstrated toughness on their home ground and are unlikely to be defeated this weekend.

Freiburg will be hopeful of avoiding a third straight Bundesliga loss, but having won only one of their last four matches, both overall and away, a draw appears to be the most probable outcome.