Total under 3
“Augsburg” after the winter break alternates victories with defeats. The team achieved positive results only on their own pitch, where they defeated the strong Bayer (1:0) and Borussia Mönchengladbach (1:0).
The “Fuggers” take their toll with a distinct counter-attack play pattern. In terms of time to possess the ball (5.85 seconds) and the number of assists in this time (2.19), they rank last in the league. At the same time, “Augsburg” leads in the direct speed of the ball heading towards the opponent’s goal.
However, this style is extremely inefficient. According to the number of expected goals scored (xg = 19.4) and conceded (xga = 33.1) goals, the team ranks second to last and last in the championship, respectively. Only thanks to a large conversion of chances, Augsburg have not yet found themselves in the relegation zone.
Hoffenheim had a dismal start to the season. The team lost 4 matches out of 5 with a total score of 5:15, and the only success was a draw with Stuttgart (2:2). The last straw was the defeat against Bochum (2: 5), after which the team’s coach Andre Breitenreiter was sacked. As a result of a series of unfortunate results, the club was drawn into a struggle for survival. In the table, it occupies the 14th place, and it is only 2 points away from the relegation zone.
Pellegrino Matarazzo was called in to save the day. Under his leadership, the “village” played 1 match, in which they lost to Bayer (1:3).
I think Matarazzo will fix the situation on defense first. I expect more attentive and tight football from Hoffenheim after this game. What’s more, because of the yellow cards, the match will be missed by the leader in terms of contribution to the team’s offensive actions – Skov. 