Preview: Augsburg vs. Wolfsburg - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors, meanwhile, will be aiming to bounce back from consecutive defeats when they arrive in Bavaria.

Match preview

Augsburg had suffered successive losses themselves prior to the international break, and they appeared on course for a third straight defeat when falling 2-0 down away to Heidenheim last weekend.

However, Jess Thorup's side showed excellent spirit and quality to overturn that deficit before the half-time whistle had even been blown, with Mads Pedersen and Ermedin Demirovic both scoring within a minute of each other after Phillip Tietz had pulled one back.

Fuggerstadter faced plenty of pressure from the hosts after the break, but strikes from Felix Uduokhai and Elvis Rexhbecaj removed any doubts for their side, as they secured only their second league win of the season to move up to 10th in the table.

Indeed, Thorup's side find themselves only one position behind their forthcoming opponents ahead of facing them at the Augsburg Arena on Saturday, but they cannot move above them into the top half as there is a four-point gap between the sides.

Regardless, the Dane and his players will be hopeful of building momentum and putting further distance between themselves and the relegation zone in the process.

Wolfsburg, meanwhile, will be grateful to be facing a team beneath them in the table having lost to the division's current top two either side of the international break.

As has been the case for most teams so far this season, Stuttgart proved too strong for the Wolves, with Serhou Guirassy continuing his hot streak in front of goal with a second-half hat-trick. Niko Kovac's side succeeded to fall to a narrow defeat at home to league leaders Bayer Leverkusen last time out.

The Wolves had bit back through Maxence Lacroix's effort to cancel out Jeremie Frimpong's early opener, but Frimpong's opposite wing-back Alex Grimaldo restored the visitors' lead with a superb strike after the hour mark, which ultimately proved enough for Xabi Alonso's side to hold onto all three points and their place at the Bundesliga's summit.

Wolfsburg's results during the early weeks of the season suggest that they are still lacking a degree of quality and belief to compete with Germany's strongest teams, but European qualification remains the aim for Kovac and his players, and returning to winning ways on Saturday would set them back on track towards that target.

Augsburg Bundesliga form:

D

L

W

L

L

W

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:

L

W

L

W

L

L

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Team News

Augsburg may be forced to replace Tietz in attack as the 26-year-old suffered a muscle injury after pulling a goal back during the win against Heidenheim last weekend, with Dion Drena Beljo the most likely candidate to do so.

Thorup will already have to make to do without Ruben Vargas, Kevin Mbabu, Reece Oxford, Raphael Framberger and Japhet Tanganga due to injury, meaning that he is unlikely to make any other changes to a winning team.

Wolfsburg, meanwhile, will remain without Lukas Nmecha due to a knee injury, with the Germany striker unlikely to return until after the winter break having undergone surgery to fix the issue.

Kilian Fischer is ruled out for similar reasons, while Koen Casteels, Rogerio, Vaclav Cerny and Felix Lange may also miss out.

Kovac switched to a back three against Leverkusen last time out, but this was likely in order to match up against Alonso's side's system, meaning that Lovro Majer could displace Sebastian Bornauw to provide the visitors with more control in midfield.

Augsburg possible starting lineup:

Dahmen; Gumny, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Pedersen; Jensen, Rexhbecaj, Dorsch, Demirovic; Michel, Beljo

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:

Pervan; Baku, Lacroix, Jenz, Maehle; Svanberg, Arnold; Majer, Gerhardt, Tomas; Wind

We say: Augsburg 1-1 Wolfsburg

Augsburg's comeback against Heidenheim last weekend is likely to have provided them with renewed confidence after making a slow start under Thorup, but injuries continue to plague them.

As such, we would be surprised if Wolfsburg fall to a third successive defeat, but they may have to settle for a well-earned point on the road.

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