Elversberg vs Augsburg: Bundesliga Battle of Wounded Squads

Picture this: two Bundesliga squads that have both been beaten up by the fixture list walking into matchweek 6 with threadbare rosters and a lot to prove. That's exactly what you're getting on Saturday when Elversberg host FC Augsburg, and let's be honest, this one has chaos written all over it.

Elversberg's recent five-match run tells you everything — W, W, L, D, L, with 8 goals scored and 8 conceded. That's a team that can absolutely hurt you going forward but is leaking at the back at an alarming rate. A 1-0 defeat to FC Union Berlin and a 1-2 home loss to FC Bayern München have knocked the stuffing out of their momentum. The one bright spot in that run was the 0-0 draw at Schalke 04, which at least showed they can keep a clean sheet when they dig in. But doing that against Augsburg will be harder without L. Pinckert, who serves a red card suspension, and with Francis-Ikechukwu Onyeka ruled out with a foot injury and William Cole Campbell missing with a knock. Three key absences in different areas of the pitch is a real headache. L. Petkov, who has a goal and an assist to his name this season, and D. Mokwa, who has chipped in with a goal of his own, will need to carry the attacking load.

Augsburg aren't arriving in much better shape. They've gone L, W, W, D, L, D across their last six — 13 goals scored, 12 conceded — which reads like a side that'll give you a game but can't quite string consistent results together. The 2-2 draw with FC Bayern München shows they're capable of competing with the bundesliga's elite, and the 2-2 with Bayer 04 Leverkusen is more evidence of a side that punches its weight. The 3-2 loss to Werder Bremen, though, is the worry. Their own absentee list is significant too: M. Wolf, who racked up 7 key passes in just one appearance this season, misses out through illness. Noahkai Kai Daniel Banks is out with a torn lateral knee ligament, and A. Claude-Maurice is sidelined with muscular problems. That's a lot of creativity and defensive cover gone in one sweep. A. Kade, who has a goal and an assist in his only appearance, is also listed as unavailable, as is M. Gregoritsch. Augsburg are losing firepower at the worst possible moment.

With the Bundesliga standings tight and both sides sitting on points totals that leave no margin for error, this feels like a fixture neither can afford to lose. Augsburg's superior goal difference of plus five versus Elversberg's zero suggests the visitors have been more clinical overall, but with Wolf, Kade and Gregoritsch absent, a lot of that threat evaporates. Elversberg, despite their defensive frailties, are at home and have enough in Petkov and Mokwa to cause problems. Augsburg's injuries are simply too numerous to ignore. Elversberg nick this one.

Clubs in this story

FC Augsburg Elversberg Bayer 04 Leverkusen FC Bayern München FC Union Berlin Werder Bremen Schalke 04