Freiburg vs Augsburg preview: Hosts to become surprise table-toppers?
Freiburg
Freiburg may have suffered a surprising setback against newly promoted St. Pauli at the end of September, but they bounced back with a solid 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen before the international break, keeping them securely in the Bundesliga's top four.
With 12 points from six matches, Julian Schuster's side have overtaken Bayer Leverkusen in the standings and now sit just two points behind joint leaders Bayern München and RB Leipzig.
Schuster, who took over from long-serving Christian Streich in the summer, has guided Freiburg to an impressive start, and whilst it's still early days for the new boss, Freiburg supporters will be encouraged by their team's early form.
Their attack has been efficient, producing nine goals in six games, while defensively, the three goals conceded against St. Pauli seem to be an outlier, with just four goals allowed in the other five matches.
Following their win in Bremen, Freiburg return to the Europa-Park-Stadion, eager to restore their home form after the St. Pauli defeat.
Team News
Defenders Philipp Lienhart (back) and Kenneth Schmidt (abdominal) are doubtful for Saturday's match, while the trio of Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (knee), Merlin Röhl (ankle), and Manuel Gulde (back) are not expected to be available for selection ahead of this weekend's clash.
Augsburg
Augsburg faced a heavy 4-0 defeat at Heidenheim in gameweek two and suffered another identical loss in round five against RB Leipzig, although they managed to bounce back with a 2-1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach at the WWK Arena.
Under Jess Thorup, Augsburg has performed decently at home, earning seven points from four matches, which ranks them fifth in home performance. However, they sit at the bottom of the table for away results.
The struggles on the road, unfortunately, date back to last season for Die Fugggerstädter, with six consecutive losses following victories against Darmstadt (6-0) and Wolfsburg (3-1) in March.
Since those wins, Augsburg have endured a series of defeats, including two 3-1 losses to Hoffenheim and Frankfurt, a 5-1 thrashing at Borussia Dortmund, a 2-1 loss to Leverkusen, and the recent 4-0 losses at the hands of Heidenheim and Leipzig.
Supporters will carry the hopes of avoiding defeat on their travels down south. However, Augsburg's previous four visits to Freiburg have yielded little joy, conceding ten goals and scoring just one.
Team News
After scoring a wonderful volley last time out against Gladbach, Keven Schlotterbeck remains uncertain due to a back problem, whilst Daniel Klein (foot), Robert Gummy (knee) and Ruben Vargas (ankle) all face time on the sidelines.