Relegation six-pointer as Augsburg host Stuttgart
FC Augsburg will look to give their survival hopes a boost with a win against fellow strugglers VfB Stuttgart at the WWK ARENA on Saturday afternoon (kick-off: 15:30CEST/13:30GMT).
Download the free Bundesliga app here!
Augsburg are three points worse off than their visitors ahead of the game, though last Saturday's come-from-behind 2-1 win at SV Werder Bremen - courtesy of goals from Alfred Finnbogason and Jeong-Ho Hong - saw the Bavarians pull out of the relegation zone at Die Grün-Weißen's expense.
Watch: Werder Bremen 1-2 FC Augsburg - match highlights
Stuttgart have a five-point cushion on the drop zone following last week's 3-1 loss at league leaders FC Bayern München. Despite putting in a spirited performance against the champions, doubts are creeping into Stuttgart's play, with the Swabians taking just two points from their last four games.
Watch: VfB Stuttgart 1-3 FC Bayern München - match highlights
Matchday 13 rewind: VfB Stuttgart 0-4 FC Augsburg
Augsburg swept to their biggest-ever Bundesliga win as they easily saw off the challenge of southern neighbours Stuttgart.
Matchday 30 - match stats
- Augsburg's 2-1 win over Bremen saw them end a run of six Bundesliga games without a win. It was just their second Rückrunde victory.Stuttgart's 3-1 loss to champions FC Bayern saw them complete a run of four games without a win (two draws, two losses) for the first time since Jürgen Kramny was appointed as coach in December.Kramny collected 17 points in his first eight Bundesliga games. The 44-year-old has now picked up only six points from his most recent eight games.Stuttgart have conceded a league-high 59 goals. Only 16th-placed Bremen have let in as many.Augsburg are without a win in five games at their WWK ARENA. Their last home win came against FC Schalke 04 on Matchday 16.Augsburg have already lost seven games at home. An eighth would be an undesirable new record for them in the Bundesliga.Stuttgart have lost only one of their last seven away games - a 4-0 loss at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 24.Despite this season's difficulties, Markus Weinzierl has collected 164 points from 131 games since becoming Augsburg coach in the 2012/13 season. Stuttgart have collected 20 fewer points in that time.
Possible line-ups
Augsburg: Hitz - Verhaegh, Gouweleeuw, Klavan, Max - Janker, Baier (c) - Bobadilla, Altintop, Caiuby - Finnbogason
Absentees: Callsen-Bracker (broken leg), Esswein (thigh), Moravek (light training), Ji (light training),
Coach: Markus Weinzierl
Stuttgart: Tyton - Klein, Sunjic, Schwaab, Niedermeier, Insua - Werner, Didavi, Rupp, Kostic - Kravets
Absentees: Die (adductor), Großkreutz (thigh), Ginczek (knee), Maxim (light training), Gentner (light training)
Coach: Jürgen Kramny
Click here for your local broadcaster