It's the midway point of the 2020/21 Bundesliga season. To wrap up the first half of the campaign, FC Bayern are away to FC Augsburg on Wednesday evening (live text and Webradio commentary from 20:30 CET on fcbayern.com). "Of course, we hope that we can play even better on Wednesday and reinforce today's performance," said Jérôme Boateng straight after last Sunday's narrow 2-1 win over SC Freiburg. fcbayern.com has put together everything you need to know about this clash.
Check out here where FCB's direct rivals are in action on Matchday 17:
The situation for FC Bayern
After the defeats in the league at Mönchengladbach and the DFB Cup at Holstein Kiel, Bayern returned to winning ways against Freiburg and secured the unofficial title of 'autumn champions' as leaders at the halfway point ahead of schedule. "Maybe we needed the two defeats to sharpen our senses. We hope to see things again against Augsburg like we saw against Freiburg," coach Hansi Flick said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. The record champions go into the clash with Augsburg with a four-point lead over closest pursuers RB Leipzig and could further increase the gap with an away win.
Bayern were 2-0 winners in the last encounter in March 2020. Augsburg have been waiting for a total of 10 games for a win against the men from Munich.
The opponents: FC Augsburg
With 19 points from 16 games, Augsburg are in 11th place ahead of the last matchday of the first half of the season. A persistent weakness at home is the primary reason for not achieving a better league position, as FCA have managed to win just two out of eight games in their own stadium, with their last three-pointer, a 3-1 win against 1. FSV Mainz 05, coming at the end of October. And now, of all times, the visitors are FC Bayern, who are undefeated in 10 encounters in the Bavarian derby. "It's incredibly difficult to stop the FC Bayern attack. We have to be absolutely focused," said coach Heiko Herrlich, aware of the severity of the challenge facing his team.
Watch Hansi Flick's pre-match press conference before the match against Augsburg (with English translation) here:
Team news
Flick can pick from almost a full squad against FCA. Serge Gnabry, who was subbed off in the Freiburg match after picking up a knock, was able to take part in team training again on Tuesday. "It's looking good," explained Flick, who, however, wants to wait until the day of the game to see whether the Germany international is fully fit. "Apart from the two long-term injuries Tanguy Nianzou and Malik Tillman, we'll probably have everyone available. A full squad - that's good for us and for the competition for places," added the boss.
For the hosts, left-back Iago (neck problem) and striker Marco Richter (following suspension) are expected to return to the squad. The recently injured Alfred Finnbogason and Tim Civeja should also be ready for action again by Wednesday evening.
What the coaches say
Hansi Flick: "We took a step in the right direction against Freiburg. I have great confidence in the team. They showed in the game that, with intensity and the right attitude, they can play with quality. Of course, we're currently lacking a bit of fluidity, but we did create chances. In addition, we were better in defence. The team has implemented things well, so of course you try to change very little. A certain consistency is important."
Heiko Herrlich (FC Augsburg): "The players from FC Bayern are world class. We have nothing to lose and want to show virtues such as will and tackling. We have to be absolutely focused, try to keep things tight and resist them with courage. We'll fight back with everything we have."
If you want to know more ahead of the Bavarian derby, check out our facts and stats:
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