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

The visitors, meanwhile, gained their first league victory of the season when beating Mainz 05 last time out.

Match preview

Having punched above their weight to secure back-to-back top six finishes in each of the last two seasons, Christian Streich's side have started the new campaign a little slower than they would have liked.

Since winning their opening fixtures against Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen, Breisgau-Brasilianer have collected just one point from three games against Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Still, after shipping nine goals across successive defeats, Streich would have been content to see his side keep a clean sheet against Frankfurt, even if they lacked their usual attacking potency at the other end of pitch; the 2022 DFB-Pokal runners-up mustered one shot on target across the course of the encounter.

However, they showed their offensive class when dispatching Olympiacos 3-2 away from home in their opening Europa League match last week, and they will feel confident of returning to winning ways against Augsburg on Sunday.

After all, Augsburg only managed to avoid finishing in the bottom three by a solitary point last season; remaining clear of the relegation places will be their main aim once again for the current campaign.

Enrico Maassen's side certainly gained a crucial victory in terms of helping themselves achieve that objective when beating Mainz last weekend, with Ermedin Demirovic's brace helping them come from behind after Ludovic Ajorque's early strike for the visitors.

Maassen would have been delighted with his side's show of resolve by holding onto all three points despite losing Arne Engels to a 62nd-minute dismissal, but he will be hoping to see them build on that display ahead of fixtures against newly promoted sides SV Darmstadt 98 and Heidenheim either side of the upcoming international break.

As such, there is not quite as much pressure riding on their trip to what has proved to be a challenging Europa-Park Stadion to navigate as an away team in recent years, as they will have the opportunity to put breathing space between themselves and potential relegation rivals beneath them in the table regardless.

Freiburg Bundesliga form:

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Freiburg form (all competitions):

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Augsburg Bundesliga form:

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Augsburg form (all competitions):

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Team News

Freiburg will remain without key midfielder Nicolas Hofler due to suspension after his red card against Dortmund earlier this month, while Christian Gunter, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh and Michael Gregoritsch are all unlikely to feature due to injury.

Streich may show more attacking ambition by replacing Lukas Kubler at left wing-back, with club captain Vincenzo Grifo potentially asked to deputise in that area of the pitch in order to accommodate Maximilian Philipp from the outset.

Augsburg, meanwhile, will travel without Japhet Tanganga, Raphael Framberger, Reece Oxford and Masaya Okugawa due to injury, while Engels will also miss out through suspension.

Maassen is likely to replace Engels with Niklas Dorsch within the visitors' engine room, while Sven Michel may return to the starting XI to partner Demirovic in attack.

Freiburg possible starting lineup:

Atubolu; Ginter, Lienhart, Sildillia; Sallai, Keitel, Eggestein, Grifo; Doan, Philipp; Holer

Augsburg possible starting lineup:

Dahmen; Pfeiffer, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai; Mbabu, Rexhbecaj, Dorsch, Iago; Vargas, Michel, Demirovic

We say: Freiburg 1-0 Augsburg

Freiburg have been far from at their best in recent weeks, while Augsburg will arrive with renewed confidence after picking up their first win of the season in their last match.

However, we expect the hosts to edge to a narrow victory in what is likely to be a tight encounter, with Streich and his players knowing that they can not afford their winless streak to continue much longer if they are to have another successful campaign.

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