Augsburg 2026/27 season preview: Will Manuel Baum's side continue to flourish?
After turning Augsburg's season around last term, Manuel Baum will take charge of the team once more this campaign. Last season, the team finished in a respectable ninth place, but can they improve on that result this time around?
Augsburg
2025/26 finish: ninth
Pre-season results: 5-0 win vs. Schwaben XI, 1-1 draw vs. Saarbrücken, 5-2 loss vs. Bournemouth, 15-0 win vs. Schwaz, 3-2 win vs. Sassuolo, 4-0 loss vs. Leeds United
First three fixtures: Schalke (H), Eintracht Frankfurt (A), Bayer Leverkusen (H)
What to expect?
The appointment of Sandro Wagner as head coach last summer raised hopes of an exciting 2025/26 for Augsburg, but the former striker left the club by mutual consent in early December after an underwhelming start to the season. The arrival of Manuel Baum, however, revitalised Die Fuggerstädter’s campaign.
Baum, who enjoyed a three year spell in charge of Augsburg between 2016 and 2019, was initially appointed on an interim basis until the end of December, but stayed on beyond the new year to guide the club from 14th place - and only three points above the relegation zone - to a top-half finish.
Armed with a new two-year contract, Baum’s task this term is to prevent Augsburg from running into choppy waters once more. An impressive pre-season victory over Italian Serie A side Sassuolo, and against Energie Cottbus in the first round of the DFB Cup, certainly suggest they are more than capable of building on last season’s progress.
Key new signing: Michael Gregoritsch
One of the key figures - other than Baum - behind Augsburg’s magnificent second half of the 2025/26 season was top scorer Gregoritsch, who netted six goals and three assists in only 17 league appearances after returning to the club on loan in January. The Austrian has since put pen to paper on a one-year contract.
Gregoritsch, who spent five years at Augsburg between 2017 and 2022, is the ideal target man in Baum’s direct system. Not only does the 32-year-old help bring his team-mates into play, he also works incredibly hard as the leader of Augsburg’s press.
Watch: Gregoritsch wins Fair Play of the Season
Key player: Anton Kade
A summer 2025 signing from Basel, Kade was a revelation for Augsburg last term, registering six goals and an assist in 28 league outings. The 22-year-old’s raw pace and eye for goal could prove vital this season as Die Fuggerstädter eye back-to-back top-half finishes.
“He encapsulates Augsburg’s approach,” Baum said of Kade, who opened his account for the 2026/27 campaign against Cottbus in the DFB Cup. “Hats off to our scouting department and sporting director for bringing him to the club.”
Talking point
While Gregoritsch and Kade’s goals were crucial to Augsburg’s success last term, Baum’s team were no less impressive at the other end of the pitch. Goalkeeper Finn Dahmen and midfielder Fabian Rieder were an integral part of a solid spine, which will be boosted this season by fit-again centre-back Chrislain Matsima.
Only last season’s top four - Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and VfB Stuttgart - collected more points in the second half of last term than Baum’s troops. If Augsburg can pick up where the left off in 2025/26, it could be a very exciting campaign for their supporters.
