Bochum vs Augsburg preview: Fuggerstädter looking to respond following consecutive defeats
Two sides struggling for goals will face off on Sunday when Bochum welcome Augsburg to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion.
| Thomas Reis. |
Bochum
Bochum's place in the Bundesliga may be all but secured, but they will be looking to improve upon a run of form that has seen them win just one of their last five games
They enter Sunday's contest off the back of a heavy 3-0 defeat to Freiburg, which condemned Bochum to their tenth away league loss of the season.
The hosts have also struggled for wins at home in recent weeks, with their only home win in their previous four matches coming against bottom-placed Greuther Fürth. A struggle for goals has been a major factor in their recent home failings, as Bochum have failed to score in three of their last four matches at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion.
Although they may have faltered in recent weeks, Bochum can be proud how their campaign has panned out, with their stay in the Bundesliga set to extend into a second season.
If the hosts can find the first goal on Sunday, then they will be confident that they can avoid defeat as they have won five and drawn two of their seven home league games in which they have netted first.
Team News
Bochum are without the services of Kostas Stafylidis, who is suspended after being shown a straight red card against Freiburg last weekend. Their head coach Thomas Reis was also sent off, and as a result, he is banned from the touchline on Sunday.
Augsburg
Augsburg's place in the Bundesliga is far from secure, with the visitors four points clear of the bottom three.
After enjoying a run of three wins in four games, Augsburg have lost their last two matches by a 1-0 scoreline. They competed well with Bayern Munich before Robert Lewandowski dispatched a late spot-kick, while they lost to relegation rivals Hertha BSC last weekend following an under-par performance.
An away trip will not be welcomed by the Fuggerstädter, who currently hold the third-worst away record in the Bundesliga after winning just two league games on their travels this season. They also enter Sunday's encounter off the back of five defeats in their last six away matches.
Like their hosts, Augsburg have also struggled in the final third of late, failing to score in their last two games.